What sources of intelligence and methods can be used to strengthen our ability to predict and identify disruptions and risks to Scotland’s food chain?
Background
Scotland’s food system has evolved significantly since FSS was established in 2015, with environmental impacts, technological innovations in food production, new business models, dietary trends and wider food policies all driving transformation in the way our food is grown, processed and sold. Added to this, the disruptions to our agri-food supply chain resulting from geopolitical events, a changing climate and the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted action from government to prioritise food security and work with the industry on strategies for promoting a more resilient and sustainable food system for Scotland. Addressing these issues, whilst enabling everyone in Scotland to access a safe and healthy diet requires a systems thinking approach which recognises how the various stages of food production and consumption are interconnected and how they are influenced by social, economic, environmental, and political factors. The introduction of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 has been a particularly important milestone in that regard; providing a legislative basis for positive progress which will rely on effective collaboration across government to ensure new policies and initiatives for a better food system in Scotland are fully co-ordinated. FSS has a role to play in supporting government in achieving its ambition for a more sustainable, resilient and equitable food system, ensuring that there are no unintended consequences for food safety, standards and public health nutrition. This relies on evidence that helps us to predict and detect potential disruptions and emerging risks to our food chain and understand the opportunities and challenges that are associated with new food processing technologies, novel foods and changing diets.
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Related UKRI funded projects
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Backcasting to Achieve Food Resilience in the UK (BAFR-UK)
Context Our food systems are optimised for efficiency rather than resilience, putting them at risk of actual or apparent failure, especially due to the impacts of increasing geopolitical instability and climate change. ...
Funded by: BBSRC
Lead research organisation: Anglia Ruskin University
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on UK food resilience, not specifically Scotland.
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Resilience of the UK Food System in a global context - Programme Coordination
Recent years have seen a significant interest in global and UK food security in policy, science and business circles, and in the more general press. Heightened by the 2007/08 food price crisis this is further driven by g...
Funded by: BBSRC
Lead research organisation: University of Oxford
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on UK food system resilience, not specifically on Scotland.
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IKnowFood: Integrating Knowledge for Food Systems Resilience
In this project we will support individuals and organisations across the food system to develop their knowledge of resilience. Producers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, policy makers and consumers will all have to...
Funded by: BBSRC
Lead research organisation: University of York
Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it specifically addresses food system resilience and knowledge integration.