Challenges faced
A number of challenges have been faced by Scotland Excel and other public bodies when seeking to identify and promote local food supply, including:
Traceability:
There are many challenges faced in requiring greater traceability and geographical labelling of food procured/ consumed in Scotland. These include:
- difficulties in how to define a product’s geography. Food produce often undergoes multiple stages of processing and can incorporate multiple ingredients. How something might, therefore, be categorised as “Scottish” presents real difficulties. (e.g. would jam that is made from Scottish strawberries be defined as Scottish, even though the sugar originates from overseas? Does cattle that is finished and butchered in Scotland qualify as Scottish, despite it being born on a farm in Northern England?).
- Differentiating produce by its geographical origin can prove to be complex, if not impossible as Scotland’s food supply chain is heavily interlinked with that of the rest of the UK;
- information of the geographical origin of food procured may not be available, nor static, as it may shift across a given reporting period. The administrative burden related to food traceability on food product suppliers may result in additional costs and/or affect how and where food is produced. This would run counter to obligations to facilitate access to small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the third sector to public procurement contracts.
Carbon emissions:
While food and agriculture are major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there is confusion regarding the impact of activities at each stage of the food system. In particular, transport is assumed to be a major factor in food-related GHG emissions. This is not the case.
Globally 70% of food system-related emissions arise from food production, with additional emissions arising from processing, packaging, distribution, storage and waste (climateXchange).
The analysis of GHG emissions associated with food consumed in the UK found the following breakdown:
- 29% from UK agriculture and fishing.
- 26% from imported food.
- 10% from land use change from imported food and animal feed. For example, deforestation to grow food crops.
- 6% from household energy use to prepare food.
- 5% from energy use to manufacture food in the UK.
- 4% from energy use by hospitality and food service.
- 4% from food packaging.
- 4% from transport within the UK.
Further analysis of global food emissions, including within supply chains, confirms that land use change, farming and production contribute the largest share (Our World in Data 1, Our World in Data 2).
Dietary changes and improvements in the efficiency of food production are therefore especially critical for GHG reduction. The Climate Change Committee in 2022, for example, recommended that the Scottish Government aim for a 20% reduction in consumption of all meat by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050, and a 20% shift away from dairy products by 2030 (Climate Change Committee).
Local supply should therefore be seen not primarily in the context of GHG emission reduction.
- There is potential for some emission reduction across the food system, dependent on the food products, production methods, location of alternative sources, the capacity of local suppliers, and the availability of relevant data.
- There are opportunities for supply chains that support local businesses, communities, jobs and skills, community wealth building and sustainable production systems. This may include opportunities for Scottish food manufacturing in under-represented areas.
- There are also opportunities to influence whole system impacts, including packaging of food products.
- While food waste can also arise through an entire food system, the greatest relevant opportunity to minimise this may be by Scotland Excel framework users, who may, for example, be procuring for school catering services.
- These opportunities can foster pride and appreciation of Scottish food, and
- Influence Fair work practices within supply chains.
Market considerations – volumes:
While procurement of food products by Scottish local authorities, as well as those by regional health boards and universities and colleges is significant, it is small relative to other sectors such as retail. Challenges are faced with some products. For example, producers of chicken products may defer to supermarket customers who require greater volumes, limiting the scope for local public supply.
