Scottish Parliament – May 18, 2023 – 2

S6M-09014.2: As an amendment to motion S6M-09014 in the name of Mairi Gougeon (Securing a Sustainable Food Supply for Scotland), insert at end ";

believes that it is unacceptable in the 21st century, in a resource rich nation, that so many people are living in food poverty and relying on food banks;

notes that many of those who are living in food poverty are those who work in the food industry;

urges more action on addressing low pay, zero-hours contracts and insecure work for those producing Scottish food;

recognises the powers that the Scottish Government has that could be used to mitigate the cost of living crisis;

believes that food production and a sustainable environment can work hand in hand for the benefit of both, and do not need to be at the expense of one or the other, and further believes that the right to food should be enshrined in Scots law, and that the Scottish Food Commission should be empowered to realise that policy urgently."

Original motion(S6M-09014): That the Parliament commends farmers and crofters, seafood and aquaculture industries, food manufacturers and producers for the role that they play at the heart of rural, coastal and island communities in contributing to Scotland’s £15 billion food and drink industry;

notes that the hard Brexit negotiated by the UK Government has created serious, long-term harms for the food and drink sector, creating labour shortages, new barriers to trade and failing to prioritise Scottish interests in third country trade deals;

understands the growing impact that the climate emergency is having on food production in Scotland and globally, and applauds the progress that is already being made by the sector to adapt to, and mitigate, climate change;

recognises the important work of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board, and the co-development of effective models to enable producers to produce while delivering for nature and the climate;

welcomes the creation of a new, dedicated Food Security Unit as a result of the work of the Short-life Food Security and Supply Taskforce, established by the Scottish Government and industry to consider short- and long-term risks to food security;

is concerned at current levels of food inflation;

recognises that the UK Government holds the majority of powers and levers to support consumers and the food sector and urges it to act immediately to help them during the cost of living crisis, including with energy costs, and acknowledges that Scotland will need to further adapt how and what is grown and produced to address and mitigate climate change, as well as produce more food more sustainably, to meet Scotland’s commitments to be a Good Food Nation now and in the future.