RESPONSE TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT S DISCUSSION DOCUMENT BECOMING A GOOD FOOD NATION

Transcription

1 15 Octber 2014 RESPONSE TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT S DISCUSSION DOCUMENT BECOMING A GOOD FOOD NATION Backgrund and Cnsultatin 1. Nurish Sctland is a nt-fr-prfit rganisatin campaigning fr a fairer fd system in Sctland. Nurish facilitates this change thrugh engaging with rganisatins, cmmunity initiatives, pliticians and fficials. We wrk t influence plicies frm lcal t EU level and prvide a platfrm fr netwrking and sharing best practice. We make sure that fd is brught t the fre in public debates f varius kinds, making the link between a lcalised fd system and its psitive utcmes fr ecnmic develpment, cmmunity chesin, jb creatin, skills develpment, public health, envirnmental stewardship and justice. 2. Nurish is pleased t be able t cmment n the Scttish Gvernment s paper Becming a Gd Fd Natin (GFN). Nurish cnducted 8 reginal cnsultatin meetings acrss Sctland in relatin t the GFN dcument. The purpse f the meetings was t prmte debate abut hw Sctland culd becme a GFN and encurage a wide range f well-crafted respnses t the cnsultatin. Ntes and phtgraphs f the individual reginal meetings tgether with a summary f the cnsultatin prcess and the themes which emerged are available n the Nurish website at Nurish als prduced a survey mnkey fr the cnsultatin. The results f this are attached as Annex B t this paper and the ntes n the cnsultatin meetings are attached as Annex C. These cnsultatin meetings have als helped t infrm the Nurish respnse. 3. This paper sets ut in sme detail a suggested system f plicy inputs, pririty spending areas and utcmes, all perating within an internatinal and natinal cntext. Fr ease f reference, a schematic diagram setting ut this prpsed fd plicy system is attached as Annex A t this paper. 4. Nne f the changes prpsed in this paper will happen withut Gvernment being prepared t listen t and wrk alngside ur prducers and cmmunities. Change will happen by wrking with these grups, nt by ding things t them and impsing changes upn them frm abve. This kind f change requires a lng-term cmmitment, a hlistic view, and an ability t simultaneusly prgress multiple changes, at gvernment, cmmunity and individual level. The scpe f this challenge is nt t be underestimated. Hwever, the ptential gains t be wn are huge. We have a great pprtunity t reshape ur fd plicy, t develp thriving sustainable businesses and scial enterprises making new prducts, t safeguard ur envirnment and reduce ur carbn ftprint and t develp a healthier sciety where everyne can surce, eat and ck with lcally made and sustainably prduced fd. 1

2 The Scpe and Cntext f the GFN Dcument 5. Nurish recgnises that fd and drink plicy in Sctland has undergne cnsiderable develpment since the publicatin f Recipe fr Success. In particular, we applaud the recgnitin that Sctland as a cuntry needs t feed its peple well and that peple frm all walks f life must be able t access fresh, healthy, affrdable and tasty fd. Nurish welcmes the shift in emphasis away frm exprts and ecnmic grwth t include the develpment f ther scially just pririties. Hwever, there remains an urgent need fr ur fd plicy t be anchred in the internatinal cntext and fr a far greater degree f plicy cherence t be achieved within gvernment plicies and utcmes. The Internatinal Cntext 6. Sctland is just ne part f an internatinal, glbal cmmunity. Many f ur internatinal institutins are already engaged in wrk relating t fd. It makes little sense fr Sctland t try and develp a fd plicy that des nt reference r seek t dvetail with this n-ging internatinal wrk. Of all the issues that the Scttish Gvernment wrks n, fd must surely be ne f the mst internatinal. In additin t Sctland s prud recrd f exprt success, we are als a net imprter f many fdstuffs. Much f ur regulatin and plicy wrk flws directly frm a Eurpean cntext, with the Cmmn Agricultural Plicy and Cmmn Fisheries Plicy having a huge impact n dmestic plicies and funding pprtunities. We are als engaged in internatinal effrts t limit ur glbal envirnmental ftprint, reduce carbn, achieve climate justice and assist develping cuntries in eradicating fd pverty. Yet nne f these issues is really referenced in the GFN discussin dcument. 7. There are several specific lines f internatinal wrk that Nurish believes shuld frm the basis f a cherent Scttish fd plicy. The first is the wrk f the UN in develping the new sustainable develpment gals. These Sustainable Develpment Gals are accmpanied by targets and will be supprted by indicatrs fcused n measurable utcmes. Gal 2 is t end hunger, achieve fd security and imprved nutritin and prmte sustainable agriculture. Targets under this gal include: ending hunger and all frms f malnutritin and ensuring access by all peple t safe, nutritius and sufficient fd all year rund dubling the agricultural prductivity and the incmes f small-scale fd prducers ensuring sustainable fd prductin systems and implementing resilient agricultural practices that increase prductivity and prductin, help maintain ecsystems, strengthen capacity fr adaptatin t climate change, extreme weather, drught, flding and ther disasters, and prgressively imprve land and sil quality increasing investment, including thrugh enhanced internatinal cperatin, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extensin services crrecting and preventing trade restrictins and distrtins in wrld agricultural markets and adpting measures t ensure the prper functining f fd cmmdity markets and their derivatives, t help limit extreme fd price vlatility. 8. As a UN signatry, the UK, and Sctland, will be required t implement these gals n a natinal and internatinal level. In due curse, these gals will frm part f ur dmestic plicy as well as ur internatinal bligatins. Nurish believes that they als frm a reasnable starting pint fr develping ur wn fd plicies. In additin, ur fd and drink plicy shuld surely frm part f the Scttish Gvernment s respnse t the UN Secretary-General s Zer Hunger Challenge. In 2

3 this, the UN challenges all cuntries, rganisatins, academics and civil sciety t wrk tgether t ensure that: There are Zer stunted children less than 2 years ld There is 100% access t adequate fd all year rund All fd systems are sustainable There is a 100% increase in smallhlder prductivity and incme We have Zer lss r waste f fd. 9. The FAO has als been wrking n 14 themes as part f its cntributin t the new sustainable develpment gals. The themes are based n the Organisatin s glbal gals the eradicatin f hunger, fd insecurity and malnutritin; the eliminatin f pverty; and the sustainable management and utilisatin f natural resurces. Current relevant themes include fd security and the right t fd, nutritin, resilience, climate change, fisheries and aquaculture, sustainable agriculture, and land and sil. A paper has recently been published setting ut targets and indicatrs fr fd security, nutritin and sustainable agriculture and this frms anther part f the internatinal cntext, which ur wn gals shuld draw upn. 10. Sctland has recently published the Scttish Natinal Actin Plan n Human Rights. Despite the extent f internatinal effrts abve, and despite the right t fd being recgnised by the UN Cmmittee n Ecnmic, Scial and Cultural Rights, the wrd fd des nt even appear in the plan. This seems a missed pprtunity fr Sctland t take the lead, bth within the UK and internatinally, and t demnstrate a cmmitment t feeding her wn peple adequately. Eurpean Cntext 11. As nted abve, many f ur cre agriculture, fisheries, fd and envirnmental plicies are negtiated and develped as part f the Eurpean Cmmunity. We shuld be seeking t influence these agreements and ensure that Scttish pririties frm part f this plicy backdrp. DG Envirnment has recently cnsulted n making the fd system mre sustainable. It is expected that as a result f this cnsultatin there will be a Cmmunicatin n Sustainability f the Fd System at the end f 2014 / early The cnsultatin cvered aspects such as Better technical knwledge n the envirnmental impacts f fd Stimulating sustainable fd prductin Prmting sustainable fd cnsumptin Reducing fd waste and lsses Imprving fd plicy cherence. 12. These are all issues clearly relevant t the develpment f any sustainable fd and drink plicy. In additin, bth the cmmn fisheries and cmmn agricultural plicies will require further negtiatin n the prvisin f supprt beynd the current 2020 hrizn. It is imprtant that Sctland maximises any pprtunities fr research, grant funding, innvatin and cllabratin that may flw frm these prpsals. Need fr Plicy Cherence 13. The GFN dcument recgnises that there is a need fr fd and drink plicy t interact clsely with ther sectrs such as the NHS and lcal gvernment t ensure effective c-rdinatin. Hwever, Nurish believes there is a need fr a mre farreaching plicy audit t ensure ther plicies help us becme a Gd Fd Natin. In additin t the plicies listed belw there are varius actin plans and legislative measures such as the bidiversity actin plan, climate change duties and equalities duties that any fd plicy will require t dvetail with. 3

4 14. Plicies that have an impact n fd include: Our internatinal bligatins abve Agriculture, Envirnment and Fisheries, at EU, UK and dmestic level Land use/land refrm Planning Climate change, bidiversity, and carbn reductin Enterprise/skills Educatin Health Scial Security and welfare Prcurement Smart Cities Cmmunity planning and cmmunity develpment. Outcmes 15. While the GFN dcument clearly sets ut a suggested visin and pririty plicy and actin areas, it is singularly lacking in specifying the utcmes t be expected r aspired t in ur fd plicy. Withut specifying clear utcmes, there is a risk that any plicy flwing n frm the dcument will be muddled, incnsistent and unable t be incrprated within the framewrk f ur natinal utcme and single utcme agreements. 16. Nurish suggests that any fd and drink plicy shuld seek t achieve the fllwing utcmes: Reduced hunger and malnutritin. Better public health and reduced health inequalities. Reduced GHG emissins frm fd chains. Increased levels f natural capital bth here and in cuntries where we surce ur fd A thriving cmmunity fd ecnmy with thusands f new jbs. Pririties 17. Flwing n frm these prpsed utcmes there are 4 areas f wrk that Nurish believes shuld receive pririty under the new fd and drink plicy. These are: building a cmmunity fd ecnmy, delivering a cultural change prgramme, making it easier t eat well and supprting sustainable prductin and use. 18. T these, Nurish wuld als add a fifth pririty, f ensuring plicy alignment, supprting research and develpment t underpin these pririties, spreading best practice and reprting prgress. These pririties are set ut in mre detail belw. Building a cmmunity/lcal fd ecnmy 19. T build a thriving lcal r cmmunity fd ecnmy ur prducers must have access t resurces and an infrastructure that will supprt them. In rder fr lcal fd t be grwn, prduced, manufactured r prcessed, this will require access t land. Nurish strngly supprts the recent reprt f the Land Refrm Review Grup and welcmes the Scttish Gvernment s cntinued cmmitment t a prgramme f land refrm. Withut land t grw there will be n lcal fd. 20. Nurish als supprts the prvisins f the Cmmunity Empwerment (Sctland) Bill, which shuld imprve the ability f cmmunity grups t access land, buildings 4

5 and resurces that may assist fd-grwing enterprises. Hwever, the gvernment will als need t supprt cmmunities in these endeavurs and t ensure funding is available fr land acquisitin. 21. As part f ur cnsultatin prcess Nurish fund a very real interest in creating new and different mdels f ding fd. These mdels included small farmers and grwers, scial enterprises, cmmunity fd grups and c-peratives. Anther strng theme emerging frm ur cnsultatin was the need t actively invest in supply chain develpment and ther measures t create better cnnectins between farmers, fd and peple. This may require supprt fr new sustainable businesses and scial enterprises, creatin f specialist brkerage rles t help prducers and buyers negtiate cntracts r supprt fr the develpment f prducer c-peratives. One pssible mdel that culd be explred here is the develpment f lcal fd hubs. Anther mdel discussed was the creatin f fd buying c-peratives that culd wrk like credit unins and prvide finance and bulkbuying supprt fr members. 22. Linked t this is the need t ensure that adequate infrastructure is there t supprt lcal fd enterprises. There seems little pint in supprting the develpment f a lcal fd ecnmy if the resulting prduce requires t be sent vast distances fr prcessing and returns nly as annymus fd sld by a distributin cmpany. In practice, this will require the prvisin f lcal abattirs, bakeries, fish markets, dairies and retail pprtunities. Fr example, when it cmes t retail, Sctland lacks the prvisin f cvered, year rund fd market spaces that culd prvide a fcal pint fr lcal fd sales. Delivering a cultural change prgramme 23. Anther theme expressed during ur cnsultatin was the need t ensure that everybdy understands what gd fd is and why. Nurish supprts the suggestin f reviewing and simplifying the definitins f gd fd, evaluating glbal best practice and expanding the Scttish evidence base. Nurish is aware that elsewhere in the Scttish Gvernment the ISM mdel f behaviur change has been successfully emplyed and recmmends that this is explred fr the fd cntext. 24. We need t embed this sense f what gd fd is thrugh all ur publicly funded services. In particular we need t embed this understanding in public services that supply fd. While the actual spend may be a mdest amunt, there is a real pprtunity t shw leadership here and t develp sustainable lcal fd enterprises. We need ur schls, hspital, prisns, care hmes and public sectr wrkplaces t shwcase tasty, healthy, sustainably prduced lcal fd and t explain what they are serving and why. With a new sustainable prcurement duty embedded in the recently passed Prcurement Refrm (Sctland) Act there is an pprtunity t make a step change in prcurement practice. Hwever, nce again this will need t be underpinned with resurces, supprt and guidance. 25. We als require a values-based educatinal prgramme that extends beynd schls. Children s fd plicy is undubtedly imprtant, but many peple expressed fears during ur meetings abut the cnsequences f cncentrating just n children s fd. We need t invest time int training ur teachers, scial wrkers, health wrkers, caterers, husing assciatins, cmmunity develpment trusts and retailers abut what gd fd is and why it is imprtant. This shuld be mre than classrm learning. We culd prvide, fr example, a netwrk f educatinal farms and prducers wh can hst visits and shw the reality f lcal fd prductin. 5

6 26. There is ptential t build upn the fair-trade mdel and ur status as a fair-trade natin and extend ur knwledge f sustainable fd prductin in cuntries that we imprt frm. This shuld ensure that ur fd chices d nt just shift the impact f unsustainable fd systems. 27. Anther way f speeding the pace f change wuld be t increase the supprt available t the emerging sustainable fd cities netwrk. These partnerships bring tgether lcal authrities, health agencies, ther cmmunity planning bdies, business and civil sciety grups t highlight fd issues, make cnnectins acrss different agendas and ensure jined up thinking n fd issues. They prvide an pprtunity t influence fd plicy and pririties at a lcal level and raise the prfile f fd. Early wrk has taken place in Edinburgh, Glasgw and Renfrew, but as yet this is cmparatively under-resurced in Sctland. Fr gd fd t happen n a lcal level, fd needs t becme an integral part f the cmmunity planning prcess. This wuld be greatly assisted by having an fficer in each lcal authrity that is recgnised as having respnsibility fr fd issues. The experience f Nurish in dealing with fd issues is that, as a crsscutting issue, fd is ften regarded as smething that smene else des. Making it easier t eat well 28. Nurish welcmes the view in GFN that gd fd shuld be available fr all. Hwever, there is little in the dcument abut reducing fd and fuel pverty and ensuring that fd is affrdable. T d this will require bth wrk t imprve the availability and affrdability f fresh, healthy, lcal fd and wrk t regulate the prmtin and availability f unhealthier chices. 29. It is difficult t address the issue f affrdability withut mentining ur decreasing wages and increasing living csts. Nurish believes that bth wages and wrking-age benefits shuld be increased t ensure that making better fd chices is an affrdable ptin. Nurish als believes that if mre can be dne t encurage fd businesses t pay the living wage, this will cntribute t careers in the fd industry being seen as attractive alternatives. 30. Nurish als believes that healthier fds need t be made mre available and accessible. We wuld supprt, fr example, the develpment and maintenance f cmmunity fd hubs r c-peratives t facilitate buying fruit and vegetables, the prvisin f fruit and vegetables n prescriptin, the extensin f the current healthy start and healthy living award schemes, and the extensin f free, healthy, sustainably prduced schl meals. We think that prducers and prcessrs prviding tasty, healthy, sustainable prducts shuld be rewarded by incentives, whether these be making grant capital available, prviding tax rebates r therwise supprting healthy chices. Fr example, businesses serving r selling healthy prduce r fruit and vegetables culd be ffered business rates reductins as part f an incentive t reduce flr space given t unhealthier fds. 31. In additin, Nurish urges the Scttish Gvernment t cnsider measures t restrict the advertising, prmtin r availability f high sugar prducts. Nurish believes the current framewrk, which relies n vluntary cmpliance and supprt frm big industry is unlikely t achieve whlesale behaviur change r substantially prmte better fd chices. 32. In itself, increasing the availability and affrdability f gd fd will nt result in behaviur change unless peple knw hw t ck it and want t ck it. Our cnsultatin events appeared t shw a cnsiderable unmet demand fr a prgramme f life-skills, learning and cntinuing develpment arund fd. Nurish 6

7 wuld supprt the delivery, by the third sectr and scial enterprises, f an expanded prgramme f grwing and cking skills and nutritinal infrmatin. This wuld be hugely assisted by having an increased number f kitchens available fr cmmunity use where fd culd be prepared and eaten in a cmmunal setting. Supprting sustainable prductin and use 33. Nurish believes that mre supprt is needed fr sustainable prductin and use. Nurish was encuraged t see that farmers in receipt f public mnies will nw be required t cmplete basic carbn auditing. Nurish supprts the extensin f the advisry services available t farmers and grwers t prvide infrmatin and supprt, and distribute best practice n sustainable farming practices. As part f this, we need t invest in measures t drive dwn waste thrughut the supply chain (including n farm and in manufacturing r prcessing). We als need t prvide fr the recycling f material t land wherever pssible t cntinue a life cycle r circular apprach t fd prductin. 34. Nurish cntinues t encurage the Scttish Gvernment t use ur CAP, CFP and SRDP funds in a way that ensures every fd prducer is measured and rewarded fr the jbs, envirnmental management, carbn sequestratin and healthy fd they help deliver. Nurish strngly believes that where public mnies are used t supprt farming, fisheries and rural develpment there shuld be a clearly articulated public benefit in return. 35. The GFN dcument as it stands des nt supprt rganic farming practices and Nurish wuld welcme the develpment f targets fr rganic fd and farming. Nurish als believes that prgrammes such as the Huse f Fd in Denmark, which set challenging targets fr public prcurement f lcal, rganic, prduce have made a cnsiderable psitive impact and shuld be cnsidered fr use in Sctland. 36. In general, mre can still be dne t supprt new entrants t farming, cmmunity market gardens, and alltments and grw yur wn prjects. The requirement under the Cmmunity Empwerment (Sctland) Bill fr each lcal authrity t prduce a fd grwing strategy has the ptential t assist this, but nly if it is taken seriusly and underpinned by apprpriate guidance and reprting standards. 37. Finally, these new entrants t prductin will require apprpriate supprt, training, skills develpment and mentring. At present, few training prgrammes have an understanding f sustainable prductin and business practices at their heart. There is rm fr mre values based training t fill this gap. Ensuring plicy alignment and reprting prgress 38. In rder t have a fd and drink plicy that flws thrugh t all ur gvernment utcmes, the Scttish Gvernment will need t establish sme plicy crdinatin tls. It wuld be pssible fr this t frm part f the remit f a Fd Cmmissin. Nurish ntes that there was lts f supprt during ur cnsultatin fr the Cmmissin being used a vehicle t c-rdinate and synthesise actins. There was als supprt fr it t have sufficient pwers t be able t act as an effective agent f change and t be able t help set a strategic directin fr fd plicy in Sctland. 39. Nurish wuld als welcme the creatin f a high-level Ministerial grup. T have any hpe f succeeding in becming a Gd Fd Natin there will need t be 7

8 a crss-cutting grup smewhere with the ability t reslve turf wars, deal with tensins between departments and individual bjectives and ensure internal cherence. There is nt a huge fd plicy cmmunity in Sctland and Nurish wuld welcme mre funding and pririty being given t fd plicy in rder t create this kind f plicy cherence. Other sectrs such as carbn have develped centres fr innvatin and knwledge transfer, and cnsideratin culd be given t develping a centre f fd plicy excellence in Sctland. 40. There will als need t be a clear directin f travel, benchmarking, supprt fr apprpriate research (including cllabrative research) and clear indicatrs f success. 41. Nurish wuld like t see an annual reprt made t the Scttish Parliament n the state f Scttish fd utlining prgress made in attaining the utcmes listed abve. Nurish wuld als welcme an audit f the current Natinal Outcmes t ensure that the imprtance f fd related issues is reflected in these and is captured within the existing reprting mechanisms. 42. Sctland shuld draw n measures and indicatrs already being develped arund the wrld, fr example the wrk being dne by the FAO t supprt new sustainable develpment gals includes the develpment f apprpriate targets and indicatrs. One pssible measure wuld be t adpt the Fd Insecurity Experience Scale already in use by the FAO in mre than 150 cuntries. The FIES cnsists f eight shrt questins that refer t the experiences f the individual respndent r f the respndent s husehld as a whle. The questins fcus n fd-related behaviurs and experiences and difficulties in accessing fd and wuld prvide a useful snapsht f internatinally cmparable data. Nurish has als been invlved in early discussins with the Rwett Institute regarding the develpment f a sustainable fd index and wuld welcme supprt fr prgressing such a tl. Cnclusin 43. Nurish welcmes the pprtunity t respnd t this discussin dcument. At a time when Sctland has been debating the type f cuntry it wants t be, it has been heartening t see fd taking its rightful place in the debate. During ur cnsultatin meetings we fund a real interest right acrss Sctland in explring fd related issues and cnsidering hw fd can play a part in making us a better, strnger, natin. The team at Nurish will cntinue ur effrts twards making Sctland a Gd Fd Natin and we lk frward t wrking with the Scttish Gvernment t pursue this aim. 8