National Good Food Nation Plan: Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment

1. Summary of aims and expected outcomes of strategy, proposal, programme or policy

The aim of the first national Good Food Nation Plan is to create the conditions for greater coherence on food related policy across the Scottish Government. While the ultimate aim of the wider Good Food Nation project is to achieve systemic changes to the food system to make it fairer, more equitable and more sustainable for all, the immediate focus is on changing the working practices of government and to create a common vision for food policy and food systems transformation in the Scottish Government and relevant authorities.

The target audience for the first national Good Food Nation Plan is civil servants, while recognising the public and key stakeholders will have an interest. Through the implementation of the revised working practices and upon application of the legal effect of the plan (i.e. when new food policy is developed), the impacts will eventually reach the people of Scotland. We expect that teams developing any new policies whilst having regard to Good Food Nation will have to conduct their own impact assessment as required.

At the centre of the Good Food Nation Plan sit six overarching Outcomes, describing our ambition for the food system in Scotland:

• Outcome 1: The food environment in Scotland enables people to eat well. Everyone benefits from reliable and dignified access to safe, nutritious, affordable, enjoyable, sustainable and age-appropriate food.
• Outcome 2: Scotland’s food system is sustainable and contributes to a flourishing natural environment on our land and in our waters. It supports our net zero and climate adaptation ambitions and plays an important role in maintaining and improving animal health and welfare and in restoring and regenerating biodiversity.
• Outcome 3: Scotland’s food environment and wider food system enables and promotes a physically and mentally healthy population. This leads to the prevention of, and a reduction in, diet-related conditions.
• Outcome 4: Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social well-being. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by fair work standards throughout food supply chains.
• Outcome 5: People and communities are empowered to participate in, and shape, their food system. Scotland has a thriving food culture with a population who are educated about good and sustainable food.
• Outcome 6: Decisions we make in Scotland contribute positively to local and global food systems transformation. Scotland actively engages in learning and exchanging knowledge and best practice internationally.

The first iteration of the national Good Food Nation Plan must be seen as a plan of strategic importance that sets out the direction of travel for food policy in the Scottish Government. It does not contain the detail of policy interventions that are needed to achieve those aims.

The publication of the national Good Food Nation Plan will not in itself result in impacts on those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. This Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment is therefore an overview, identifying broad existing socio-economic inequalities with the food system, and not a detailed analysis of specific interventions.

As the Good Food Nation Outcomes will form the basis for food policy developed by the Scottish Government going forward, we expect that when policy colleagues have regard to the Good Food Nation Plan they will consider how the Outcomes can be achieved through delivery of their own policies. We therefore expect that, when new policies which have been developed whilst having regard to the six strategic Outcomes are implemented, they may have positive impacts on reducing inequalities.