Analysis of responses to consultation on national Good Food Nation Plan
The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 places duties on Scottish Ministers to produce a national Good Food Nation (GFN) Plan of their policies in relation to food. This first draft national Plan represents how the Scottish Government (SG) intends to use the powers and levers it has to work collectively with people, communities, businesses, agencies and organisations to meet GFN ambitions.
1. Consultation Scope:
The engagement process included 452 consultation responses, 15 stakeholder workshops, and interactive materials distributed to schools. A total of 883 responses were received from young people aged 13+, with 202 additional responses from teachers for children under 13. The highest number of organisation responses were submitted by trade association/representative bodies (36).
2. Key Themes:
General Support: Respondents were generally positive about the draft GFN Plan, but many found it vague, focusing on existing policies without introducing new ones.
Across consultation responses, local authorities and health boards tended to be most positive about the draft national GFN Plan. Organisations within the third sector, trade associations/representative bodies and those in the public sector tended to be least positive. However, some of the bases for these groups were 5 small, so any quantitative findings need to be considered with a degree of cauti
Measurement Concerns: There was widespread concern over how outcomes, targets, and indicators would be measured and monitored. Requests for clearer pathways, measures, and timeframes were common.
Funding & Resources: Many respondents called for increased funding and resources, especially for local authorities and health boards.
Collaboration: The importance of stakeholder collaboration was emphasised to ensure a coordinated response across public and non-public sectors.
Equitable Access to Food: Concerns were raised about achieving equitable access to nutritious, affordable food, noting that some populations cannot afford high-quality food.
Local Food Supply: Increased availability of local food was seen as crucial, with calls to improve local supply chains and procurement practices to support small, local producers.
HFSS: There were a number of calls to reduce access to ultra-processed food and foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). Respondents suggested this could be brought about by increased taxes, limits on the availability of ultra-processed food (UPF), changes to its positioning within supermarkets and retail outlets, and restrictions in the promotion of these food types, along with reduced advertising or marketing. There were also calls for changes to labelling on food, to increase the amount of information available.
Education & Skills: Better education on food was a priority for many respondents, focusing on growing, preparing, and cooking food, with suggestions for lifelong education.
Plant-based Diets: Some respondents advocated for a transition to more plant-based diets, along with high animal welfare standards and sustainable farming practices.
3. Concerns on Implementation:
Vagueness: Many found the plan’s outcomes and targets to be too broad and general, with insufficient detail on how they would be achieved.
Affordability & Accessibility: There were calls for addressing food poverty and affordability, particularly in rural and island communities where fresh food is harder to access.
Public Procurement: Current procurement practices were seen as barriers to supporting local produce, with calls for more flexibility to allow local suppliers to participate.
4. Outcomes
The draft GFN Plan proposes six broad outcomes, ranging from ensuring everyone in Scotland eats well to promoting sustainable food systems and increasing Scotland’s global reputation for high-quality food.
This consultation analysis highlights a range of supportive views but also concerns about the practicality, and allocation of resources needed to achieve the GFN Plan’s ambitions.