Council to sign international food pledge

Stirling Council will become one of the first local authorities in Scotland to sign up to the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration.

The declaration is an international commitment to tackle the climate emergency through integrated food policies and a call to national governments to act.

Members of the council’s community planning and regeneration committee discussed how it correlates with the council’s own goals and ambitions regarding both climate change and food policies.

Committee chair Councillor Chris Kane said:“We are already members of the Sustainable Food Network across Scotland because of our work on the Stirling Food Framework and our commitment to becoming a sustainable food health partnership area.

“By supporting this global movement we are re-emphasising what we are already doing in this critical area of work, adding

Stirling’s voice to the members of the international community who are also signing up to this declaration, particularly in advance of COP26.”

The Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration is a pledge and a call to action by sub-national, local and international governments from all over the world to accelerate the development of integrated food policies as a key tool in the fight against climate change.

Local authorities are being encouraged to support this significant international pledge by Nourish Scotland, which co-ordinates the Sustainable Food Places network, in the lead up to COP26.

By signing the declaration, the council will commit to: developing and implementing integrated food policies and strategies; reducing greenhouse gas emissions from urban and regional food systems; and calling on national governments to establish supportive and enabling policy frameworks.