Bridging the Gap: The view from Scotland

Bridging the Gap was established to explore solutions to making climate and nature friendly food accesible to everyone. Simon Kenton-Lake examines the potential to bridge the gap in Scotland.

Edinburgh Community Food Police Box Stall. Credit: Eleanor ChurchEdinburgh Community Food Police Box Stall. Credit: Eleanor Church

Blogs Bridging the Gap

Published: Wednesday 15 January 2025

Scotland - Land of the Brave?

The Good Food Nation Act (Scotland) 2022 was one of the most eagerly awaited pieces of food policy in recent years.  The Act is a landmark piece of systems-led legislation aimed at ensuring that Scotland’s food system evolves to meet pressing social, environmental, and economic goals. The act includes: 

  • A requirement for al Scottish Government and all local authorities and Health Boards to develop and report on cross-cutting plans to address food system challenges 
  • A duty to engage in inclusive consultation 
  • And the establishment of an independent scrutiny body, the Scottish Food Commission.   

Put simply – if done well, it has the power to fundamentally change how we do food in Scotland.    

As part of its Good Food Nation commitments the Scottish Government recently consulted on the first ever draft National Food Plan within the UK. The Plan has six overarching ‘Outcomes’, two of which relate directly to the aims of Bridging the Gap:   

“Everyone in Scotland eats well. They can easily get safe, healthy, affordable, environmentally friendly food that suits their age and culture.”  

“Scotland’s food system is good for the natural environment, the climate, wildlife, and animal welfare.”  

Whilst this might suggest Scotland is cooking with gas, the initial draft Plan lacked any meaningful targets or indicators on how this is to be achieved, something that came out very strongly in consultation responses.  At the same time, Scottish Government is losing momentum and trust due to increasing delays in implementation and lack of clarity on duties or resource for developing Local Plans. We’ll likely see the final National Plan in late 2025 and the hope is that Scottish Government use the results of the consultation to make substantive changes to the Plan – after all, that’s what consultations are for.  

Right to Food dropped  

The Act falls short of calling for the ‘right to food’, but it does include wording closely mirroring it, with the promise that it would be included in the forthcoming Human Rights Bill.  However, in a very significant policy shift, the Scottish Government dropped the Human Rights Bill from its 2024 Programme for Government. The Bill was to include both the ‘Right to Food’ and ‘Right to a Healthy Environment’ which would have enshrined the right to food and a natural environment free from harmful chemicals. Both these rights reflect the aims of Bridging the Gap and would have been effective tools supporting the shift towards organic methods of food production and means of access for those on low incomes.   

Commitment to Organic 

More encouragingly, Scotland is advancing its commitment to expanding the organic food sector through the Scottish Organic Action Plan. The plan focuses on supporting the organic food sector to improve environmental sustainability, enhance biodiversity, and reduce carbon emissions. Through implementing incentives and enablers, especially focusing on public procurement, the action plan aims towards developing the organic food sector in Scotland more in line with the ambitions expressed by EU nations.  We have yet to see what shape the Plan will take, but it is expected in early 2025 and could provide valuable levers for increasing Scottish organic production and bringing this to the public plate.    

Bridging the Scottish Gap  

In Scotland there are currently two Bridging the Gap pilots, both looking at different mechanisms for increasing access to organically produced food.  

Give Peas a Chance!  

Give Peas a Chance! is pilot project getting organic peas into Aberdeen City Council’s school meals. The 15-month pilot has created a new route to market for this locally grown, organic plant protein, allowing pupils to access a healthy and sustainable diet. Give Peas a Chance! is a partnership of Soil Association Scotland, Aberdeen City Council catering and procurement teams, organically certified pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).   

Alongside the overarching Good Food Nation Act, this project aligns with numerous local and national policy goals, including Aberdeen’s Food for Life Served Here certification for its school meals service, the council's Climate Change Plan, and the Curriculum for Excellence.  The pilot is also being used as a case study in a report towards the Scottish Organic Action Plan.  

Challenges include the lack of organic processing capacity in Scotland meant splitting the peas – essential to reduce kitchen preparation time – required them to be processed in England, adding cost and complexity to the project and supply chain. Additionally, with increasing pressure on public sector budgets, school caterers in other regions of Scotland might find it hard to serve more organic products without dedicated funding, despite the benefits to people and planet.  

But the success of the pilot thus far has shown the real value of taking a partnership approach. The wholesaler, TPS Fruit & Vegetables Ltd, provided essential logistics to ensure the peas are delivered across the city, whilst school caterers worked to develop 11 new recipes for the primary and secondary menus   This has been reinforced in the classroom through the creation of a suite of new resources developed by RHET and talks delivered by RNCI, connecting the dots between a local farm, what is served in the dining hall and, ultimately, children’s learning environments.    

Edinburgh Community Food 

In Edinburgh, Bridging the Gap is testing ways to ensure that low-income communities can access fresh fruit and veg produced using organic methods. Edinburgh Community Food (ECF), a charity whose mission is to empower people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to lead healthier lives, is running a pilot to bring this produce to north Leith, a lower-income area of the city. The initiative subsidises these fruits and vegetables to match the cost of chemically produced options, making them more accessible to local communities.   

ECF offers fresh produce sourced from local farms such as Jock Tamson’s Gaiden, Pillars of Hercules Farm, and Chapel Farm. There is also a need to ensure cultural appropriateness for inclusivity, and so with that in mind the decision was taken to buy in select imported items, such as aubergine, where needed.  Given Scotland’s climate ECF have been pleasantly surprised by what produce is available locally during the winter season, and paring this with their staff team’s nutrition and cooking expertise, they’re able to help the community explore and experience new produce with recipe suggestions and ideas to support.   

A third of participants have become regular shoppers, and customers have appreciated the opportunity to access organic produce at affordable prices. One customer noted, “This is the first time I’ve come across organic fresh produce I feel I can afford,” highlighting the importance of such initiatives in jointly tackling food insecurity and concerns around climate and nature.   

This success underscores the demand for affordable, healthy food in low-income communities.    

Where to next?  

Both the Give Peas a Chance! and Edinburgh Community Food pilots provide excellent examples of how partnership-driven approaches can bridge the gap between climate-friendly food and low-income communities. These projects are not just about making food more affordable—they are about creating systemic change that benefits people, the planet, and local economies.   

As we look to the future in Scotland it is clear that, despite some missed opportunities, there is an emerging policy environment that could facilitate the work of Bridging the Gap. However, securing continued funding and policy support to scale these initiatives and overcome logistical barriers will be essential to making the right to sustainable, healthy food for all a reality.   

For more information

Bridging the Gap UK: Kiloran O’Leary, kiloran@sustainweb.org 

Bridging the Gap Scotland: Simon Kenton-Lake, simon@nourishscotland.org.uk  

Give Peas a Chance!: Sarah Gowanlock, sgowanlock@soilassociation.org 

Edinburgh Community Food: Sema Jamali, sema.jamali@edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk  


Bridging the Gap: Bridging the Gap to climate and nature friendly food for all.

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