On 17 December the Scottish Government published its First National Good Food Nation Plan, as required under the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022. The Plan brings together a national vision, six overarching Outcomes, a new monitoring framework and the full set of policies Ministers intend to pursue. Together, these elements are designed to make food policy across government more coherent, joined up and focused on long-term change. Local authorities and health boards will have to produce similar plans for their own jurisdictions once relevant legislation has been introduced.
The Plan reiterates the duty upon Ministers to have regard to it when exercising functions specified in secondary legislation. The relevant instrument for this duty was introduced to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in December 2025 but was voted down due to concerns around the omission of sectors such as agriculture. The Scottish Government has highlighted that legislation already exists which creates a statutory duty to have regard to the sectors omitted from this instrument. Consequently, objections raised by some organisations have since been withdrawn. Relevant secondary legislation is now expected to be reintroduced early in the next parliament after this year’s election.
The Scottish Food Commission – a new executive non-departmental public body – has been established to provide oversight over provisions made in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022. An event to mark the launch of the Commission will be held in Edinburgh on 19 March – more information and ticket registration can be found here. The Commission’s main functions will include scrutinising and making recommendations in relation to the Good Food Nation Plans and progress reports; conducting research; and providing advice to Scottish Ministers, Local Authorities and Health Boards in relation to their good food nation plans.
