FDF Scotland's response to the Scottish Government's programme for Government 2021-22

“We are delighted to see the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to supporting the recovery and growth of Scotland’s vital food and drink industry.

“We are pleased to see that the Scottish Government is not rushing to introduce legislation to restrict the promotions of food and drink in this parliamentary year. This would have put additional pressures on our food and drink businesses at a time when our industry is dealing with the impacts of Covid, Brexit and labour shortages. However, it is disappointing to see that the Government is still pursuing this agenda. There is no evidence of the effectiveness of these measures in reducing Scotland’s waist lines. Iconic Scottish brands who sell more of their products in Scotland will be disproportionately affected and it will also make shopping more expensive for our hard-pressed shoppers.

“We are supportive of the Scottish Government’s aim to ensure the Scottish food and drink industry continues to be a world leader in providing high quality, sustainable food. A Good Food Nation is about a great industry, making great food, with great people. Any policy should support our manufacturers to thrive into the future.

“Delivering a more sustainable food system is a top priority for our food and drink manufacturers. We recently announced our Net Zero by 2040 ambition – this builds on the great success already achieved by our members from across the UK in reducing onsite carbon emissions.

“To meet this ambitious target, we need the Scottish Government to ensure energy transition funding is applicable to our small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers. It is also vital that we work together to make sure our businesses have the correct skills in place to support Scotland’s efforts in tackling the climate emergency.”

For interview/briefing opportunities or for further information please contact Kirsty at kirsty.ritchie@fdfscotland.org.uk /0131 222 8040.

Note to Editors:

1. FDF Scotland is the membership body for Scotland’s food and drink manufacturers and is a division of the FDF. We represent and support food and drink companies across the UK, from thriving small businesses through to major global brands, on the issues that are important to them.
2. Food and drink manufacturers are a key part of the Scottish economy – they have an annual turnover of around £11 billion and provide 47,000 high quality jobs. Industry stats can be found on FDF Scotland’s website.