National Good Food Nation Plan: consultation

Closed 22 Apr 2024

Opened 24 Jan 2024

Contact

goodfoodnation@gov.scot

Feedback updated 9 Oct 2024

We asked

We sought views on the draft national Good Food Nation Plan. The consultation opened on 24 January 2024 and closed on 22 April 2024.

The consultation asked 35 questions about the Plan including on the national Good Food Nation Outcomes, ways of measuring progress and how different groups envision life in a Good Food Nation. It also sought views on specified functions.

The consultation was conducted with regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way, and the importance of effectively engaging with children and young people.

You said

452 valid responses were received to the consultation paper, of these 281 were from individuals, and 171 were from organisations. A series of stakeholder engagement workshops were conducted, with ten workshops delivered in-person at locations all over Scotland and five online. Additionally, a resource pack was developed and distributed to schools with the aim of engaging children and young people with the consultation. Over 1000 responses were received from children and young people as a result of this activity.

Across all respondents, views were generally positive about the draft national Good Food Nation Plan. A majority of respondents agreed with each of the six Good Food Nation Outcomes. Respondents were given the opportunity to provide further feedback on each proposal. Following qualitative analysis, these views have been presented via emerging themes. These included concerns regarding how the Outcomes, targets and indicators would be measured, monitored and evidenced. Additionally, there were concerns raised regarding the funding and resources required to implement the Plan. These responses will be considered by policy leads during further policy development.

We did

The Scottish Government is grateful to those who took the time to provide a response to this consultation. We commissioned an independent research company to undertake an independent analysis of all responses received to the consultation and during the consultation events. The consultation analysis report was published on 27 September 2024 and presents the findings from the public consultation and explains the methodology that was used to analyse the responses. 

Where permission to publish consultation responses has been provided, the responses are now available to be viewed on Citizens Space.

We have been using the responses to the consultation to help inform the national Good Food Nation Plan, including amending the draft to reflect the feedback received in the consultation. The amended draft will be laid before the Scottish Parliament for their consideration and comment. This will be accompanied by a statement outlining the steps taken to consult, and how the responses have been considered. The Scottish Parliament will have an opportunity to consider and comment on the draft Plan before final publication.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

This consultation seeks views on the national Good Food Nation Plan. This Plan is the first of many steps to progress food system transformation in Scotland. This consultation covers the content of the first national Good Food Nation Plan and asks your views on the national Good Food Nation Outcomes; ways of measuring progress; and how different groups envision life in a Good Food Nation.

This first national Good Food Nation Plan represents how the Scottish Government intends to use the powers and levers we do have to work collectively with people, communities, businesses, agencies and organisations to meet our Good Food Nation ambitions.

The national Good Food Nation Plan sets out the following:

  • Part One outlines the history of the Good Food Nation in Scotland and highlights how the plan will take effect. 
  • Part Two proposes a set of six national Good Food Nation Outcomes, and sets out how they were developed and how progress will be measured. We will ask you questions about the Outcomes as well as the measures.
  • Part Three highlights how working mechanisms within government will change, and presents some of the key food related policies that are currently under way. It also presents what life would be like for different groups of people under a Good Food Nation. We are particularly interested in understanding if we have captured correctly what life should be like in a Good Food Nation.

As part of this consultation we are also seeking views on specified functions, which will be defined in secondary legislation. Specified functions are very important as it is when Scottish Ministers are exercising these functions that the plan will take effect. Questions on specified functions will be asked after the section on the national Good Food Nation Plan. You can choose to respond to some or all of these questions.

Read the consultation paper The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding. There are also alternative formats of the consultation document so you can choose how you prefer to access this information:

Consultation Engagement Events

During the consultation we will be running a series of public events online and in-person across Scotland to allow individuals and communities to share their views and inform the national Good Food Nation Plan. The events are free of charge. Please book your place in advance by using the registration links below.

In-person events:

  • Edinburgh 10.00am to 12.30pm on 23 February
  • Alloa 2.00pm to 4.30pm on 27 February
  • Glasgow 10.00am to 12.30pm on 1 March
  • Dundee 10.00am to 12.30pm on 6 March
  • Dumfries 2.00pm to 4.30pm on 8 March
  • Galashiels 10.00am to 12.30pm on 12 March
  • Oban 10.00am to 12.30pm on 15 March
  • Peterhead 2.00pm to 4.30pm on 18 March
  • Orkney 10.00am to 12.30pm on 21 March
  • South Uist 10.00am to 12.30pm on 26 March

Online events:

Why your views matter

We will take feedback from this consultation on board to make sure the national Good Food Nation Plan is in line with what kind of food system the population of Scotland would like to see. 

Once consultation closes, we will publish a statement summarising the consultation process and any responses received and revise the Plan accordingly. We will then lay the statement summarising the consultation process and the proposed national Plan before the Scottish Parliament for a period of 60 days to allow them to consider and comment.

Following the end of this period, Scottish Ministers will have up to three months to finalise the national Plan before the final version is published. Following this consultation, the Scottish Government will commission an independent analysis of the responses to this consultation to help inform its decision making. 

What happens next

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available.

Interests

  • Farming and Rural
  • Main hub