Speciality Food Magazine May 2024

9 specialityfoodmagazine.com Experts from food businesses, NGOs and science backgrounds have been brought together to form an external advisory group for the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Programme. Created to help the industry meet its Net Zero commitment by 2045, the group is chaired by professor Sir Ian Boyd, co-chair of the First Minister’s Environmental Council, and biology professor at the University of St Andrews. It will support the sector by providing new insights and advice, exploring new opportunities, and leading conversations on the role of food and drink in the wider national effort to reach Net Zero emissions. The commitment is integral to the 10-year national food and drink strategy: ‘Sustaining Scotland, Supplying the World’, and the programme has been pooling resources from across the sector to accelerate action since its inception during COP26 in 2021. Iain Clunie, Net Zero Programme director (pictured), said, “Scotland has huge potential to be a global leader in climate-friendly food production, and there is an obligation on us to grasp that opportunity. “That is why we created the external advisory group; to support the Scottish food and drink industry’s Net Zero plans to ensure that we deliver on our climate targets and make the most of the evolving market opportunities presented by sustainable food products. One of the group’s first tasks will be navigating the complex issue of the just transition - what does it mean for the Scottish food and drink industry and how can we deliver on it?” Professor Sir Ian Boyd added, “We can all see that climate change has already had a severe impact on food security last winter, with the scarce availability of certain fruit and vegetables due to the severe weather conditions in the Mediterranean. With the new advisory group, we hope to accelerate efforts of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Net Zero journey. “It was refreshing to see food security taking precedence at COP28 last November, with 134 countries signing on to a first-of-its-kind declaration pledging to put food systems and agriculture at the heart of their climate ambitions, and this lends itself well to customers' demand for more sustainable food options. Scotland has an ambition to be at the forefront of the international community on sustainable food and drink production and the advisory group will play a pivotal role in realising that ambition.” External advisory group launched for Scottish Net Zero Programme In its most recent end of year Trade Snapshot report, taking into account the period fromJanuary to December 2023, the FDF found the UK’s largest manufacturing sector had a total export value of just below £25 billion, a decrease of 2% year on year. This reflects a succession of shocks the food and drink industry has been burdened with, fromhigh inflation and Brexit, to the impact of the war in Ukraine, with only pork and cheese seeing growth in both value and volume. There was a glimmer of hope as Ireland became Britain’s first ever export market to reach £4 billion, according to the report – an increase of 6.4%, which demonstrates how important the country is for trade. Imports have also increased by £200 million, buoyed by sales of cheese, savoury snacks and chocolate. However, says the body, the introduction of mandatory GB-wide ‘Not for EU’ labelling (expected to be rolled out on all goods by 2025) poses a considerable threat to supply chains, especially to Ireland, with the FDF saying it thinks the labels will “almost certainly result in growth being reversed in our largest export market”. It estimates the implementation costs to be in the region of £150 million to £200million. Balwinder Dhoot, director of industrial growth and sustainability at the FDF, said, “Selling our products overseas helps our businesses and the wider economy. In a challenging trading environment, it was good to see the value of exports to the EU increase slightly. But government proposals to introduce “Not for EU” labels across the whole of GB will undermine trade with these markets. It’s baffling why the government would want to implement something so damaging, that will reduce investment, push up prices for shoppers, whilst delivering a real blow to our exports just at the time when our businesses needmore support.” Dhoot continued, “There are better solutions, including digital ones, which businesses support. We’re urging the government to remain open to these rather than imposing their own, rather analogue, and backward-looking proposals.” The report also shows that non-EU exports have fallen by 6%, and suggests more free trade agreements would help boost this figure as it urges the government to take a “balanced and careful approach” with new FTAs, such as in India. Imports of food and drink increased by 5.1%, driven largely by an 8.6% rise in EUmarkets, with fruit remaining Britain’s largest import, and Spain, South African and Peru making upmore than 35% of all imports to the UK. An ongoing review into the risk categorisation of fruit and vegetables included in the Border Target Operating Model, as well as tariff reviews with Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa, will encourage non-EU import, and could allow the UK to diversify supply chains. “Although, we must be careful not to put up unnecessary barriers with our most important trading partner, the EU,” a spokesperson from the FDF said. The report also focuses on trade with Australia, showing that exports are yet to reach full potential. And Switzerland is highlighted. “With modest UK exports, reducing high tariffs through an updated FTA could help boost exports. With a newUK trade policy, FTAs away from the EUwill be new territory for many businesses and the government must ensure there is easy online guidance for businesses can take advantage of these new opportunities.” FDF says ‘not for EU’ labelling threatens to reverse export growth ‘Confusing’ labels on British products (‘Not for EU’) could have a huge impact on exports from the UK, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) says. Government proposals to introduce 'Not for EU' labels across thewhole of GB will undermine trade