MINISTERS launched an initiative yesterday to use Scottish food to boost the nation's health, environment and economy.
Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet secretary for the environment, unveiled a "national discussion" about Scottish food which, he hopes, will co-ordinate policy across all departments and cover every aspect of the food chain.
Ministers hope to boost fo
od tourism and exports, as well as find ways to minimise the industry's environmental impact.
Plans also include finding out more about the food served in schools, hospitals and public-sector canteens, as part of a bid to improve the nation's health.
Mr Lochhead kicked off a national discussion on the policy when he visited a breakfast club in Edinburgh.
He was joined by celebrity chef Nick Nairn and several Hearts FC players at Sighthill Primary School for the launch of a discussion paper on the plans.
The environment secretary said: "The time is right to start this debate and I hope as many people as possible will have their say about the future of Scottish food.
"I want people to let us know what excites them about food and what makes it difficult for them to access healthy, Scottish, affordable food.
"The food and drink industry in Scotland is a key sector, and we are committed to working towards creating the right environment for its competitiveness and growth."
Jim McLaren, the president of the National Farmers' Union in Scotland, welcomed the policy but emphasised that it must go beyond simply looking at public procurement.
"This is not just a food policy, it has the potential to be a groundbreaking health, education, environment and communities policy all rolled into one," he added.
"It represents a whole new approach by government to the food and drink industry, providing a platform for it to release its potential.
"It is easy for governments to produce glossy strategy documents. We need more than that. We need a national food policy which is ambitious for change and can deliver real benefits on the ground."
The policy's launch coincided with a report showing that school meals have improved since the launch of a healthy-eating drive led by the Scottish Government.
The findings by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) follow the launch in 2003 of the Hungry for Success programme, which set out guidelines on maximum salt, sugar and fat content.
Primary schools in particular were found to have made good progress with improved provision of fruit and drinking water and more healthy choices in tuck shops and vending machines.
However, assessors said the improvements were less marked in secondary schools, and they warned that the scheme might not be enough in itself to tackle the rising problem of childhood obesity.
The Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, Jim Hume, claimed the government was failing to take real action to encourage the purchase and consumption of local Scottish produce.
He said: "Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for real action on food. We want the public sector to take the lead in buying healthy, local seasonal food.
"Public-sector procurement could be reformed to encourage the purchase of local, healthy, high-quality food, and take into account new requirements to reduce food miles."
He added: "I want to see solid proposals like this incorporated into a strategy that can be implemented as soon as possible."
LIVING OFF THE FAT OF THE LANDIT IS not difficult to eat food from Scotland all year round.
Mike Small, from Fife, decided last October to feed his family on what he called the Fife Diet – food all sourced from the Kingdom.
Mr Small said many people had lost track of the seasonality of Scottish food and it was good to get back in touch with it.
The Small's Fife Diet over Christmas consisted of turkey (free range and sourced in Scotland) and winter vegetables: potatoes, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, kale and celeriac. There are also plenty of apples and pears at the moment.
Mr Small said the vegetables changed through the year, particularly with summer, which brought soft fruits and salads.
As far as meat is concerned, the position is much easier because butchers provide all meat all the year round.
The usual seasonal pattern for lamb is for hoggets in the spring and lamb in the autumn.
Salmon and trout can be purchased out of season, but will be farmed and not wild.
The full article contains 734 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
