Right to food bill to apply pressure on government
Scotland’s food and drink sector should be celebrated.
We have a strong reputation for excellent food production, quality products and a vast range of food and drink businesses large and small.
This Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight is an opportunity to encourage more people than ever to buy, eat and promote Scottish food and drink.
The sector has been hit hard by the pandemic and the impact of Brexit, with labour shortages and supply chain issues posing huge challenges for many businesses.
But we have also seen huge support for local producers, a growth in regional food groups, community initiatives borne out of lockdown and a number of new businesses start up across the country.
This fortnight is a great time to sample what local food and drink producers and stockists have to offer. I’m looking forward to visiting some food businesses across the region, to hear more about their plans.
Issues with food supply as a result of the pandemic and Brexit have demonstrated that being able to pop to the shops and get what we want is a privilege we should not take for granted, but it is also a privilege many simply do not have.
While we rightly celebrate Scotland’s larder, we also need to do more to allow everyone who lives here to enjoy it.
Since 2014 we have seen an 86 per cent rise in the use of foodbanks in Scotland, and a 111 per cent rise for children.
Food banks have played a pivotal role throughout the pandemic, but we should be striving for a society which has no need for them to exist.
Tens of thousands of people across Scotland are living in food poverty, and it has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.
In a country where fresh, quality food is plentiful this is shameful.
No one should be going hungry in a wealthy country like Scotland, particularly when we have such a strong reputation for excellent food production, and the Scottish and UK governments need to do more to address the inequalities that underpin food poverty.
My colleague in the Scottish Parliament, Rhoda Grant, recently introduced a proposal for a Right to Food Bill, which would enshrine in legislation the right to food for everyone.
The Scottish Government has dragged its feet on this for too long, and its proposals for the much-delayed Good Food Bill are vague and lack any sense of urgency to address the matter.
The Right to Food Bill would place a responsibility on the Scottish Government to make a right to food law, with a responsibility to ensure that food is available, accessible and adequate for everyone.
It’s an opportunity to address inequality and demand on foodbanks by making a commitment to ensure everyone can access the food they need.
I hope to see it supported by parties across the chamber, so we can send out the message that hunger has no place in a modern day Scotland.