Supporting a Successful Industry

We believe that a successful food and drink sector is a vital component of a healthy Scottish economy: the industry in Scotland employs around 50,000 people and generates sales of £7.57bn and £3.57bn of exports.

We ensure that the industry's voice is heard and represented where it matters - in the Scottish, UK and EU contexts.

In our view, it is the role of Government and its agencies to set a framework that enables business growth and so this means the Scottish Government must ensure:

  • the physical infrastructure it puts in place facilitates growth (and does not constrain it)
  • the education system fosters an entrepreneurial and enterprising culture
  • there is an adequate supply of appropriately qualified people to match the workforce needs of business.

These are the foundation stones on which business growth can be built and sustained. Therefore, we proactively engage with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, the Food Standards Agency (Scotland) and a range of key stakeholders to push for sustainable economic growth to be at the top of the Scottish Government's priorities and to ensure the right balance is struck between economic, social and environmental factors in order to avoid undermining the underlying competitiveness of business.

Activities in Scotland

Competitiveness is a key factor in maintaining a sustainable and profitable food and drink industry in Scotland and is at the core of many of SFDF's activities. For example:

  • our contribution to the National Food and Drink Policy - pdf | 82.7kb
  • Our 5 video case studies showcasing best business practice in the Scottish food and drink industry
  • Our careers film – A World of Opportunities – showcasing the wide range of career opportunities within the food and drink industry
  • Our Five-Fold Environmental Ambition programme and the way our members contribute to minimising their impact on the environment
  • The SFDF schools programme, A Future in Food, designed to inspire and help school children to make the connection between the food on their plates, what they are learning in school and rewarding careers in our dynamic industry
  • Our Suppliers' Forum Series, which provides market insight and commercial opportunities

FDF Business Plan

As a devolved division of FDF, SFDF is also part of the wider FDF team and so we work to deliver progress on the priorities set out for the whole organisation in the FDF Business Plan 2010 - pdf | 20.5kb

Our organisation-wide work programme is focused on four priority areas:

  • Competitiveness
  • Sustainability
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Food Safety & Science

Amongst other things, this means we ensure the industry in Scotland has input to the development of UK-wide industry policy; we keep all FDF members up-to-date about what is happening in Scotland; and we work to roll-out UK-wide programmes in Scotland when appropriate – for instance, the Five-Fold Environment Ambition programme.