Meeting of the Parliament 20 November 2014
The member makes a good point. It is ironic that we have fantastic, nutritious food on our doorstep but not enough people, particularly our children, enjoy and have access to it. If we can make that happen, it will also be good for our economy.
Returning to the promotion of Scottish food, I note that, since 2007, we have seen a 50 per cent increase in Scottish products with protected food names, combined with an increasing interest in where food comes from and more local produce on our menus. It is not just the people of Scotland who are increasingly seeking the quality food and drink that we have, but visitors to these shores as well. In a recent visitor survey, 49 per cent of visitors cited trying local food as one of the top activities that they undertook, and more than two thirds said that the quality of food was important when they chose Scotland as a destination. The world wants what we have, but we must not rest on our laurels. We must build on our success and continue to identify new markets.
It is amazing that a recent supplier development programme that cost less than £50,000 resulted in 35 Scottish food and drink companies benefiting from an additional £12.1 million in sales with one major retailer. With initiatives such as that, there is so much more that we can achieve. We must support businesses that want to grow their exports or start exporting, and the £4.5 million food export plan that was agreed earlier this year is a groundbreaking partnership between Government, the public sector and the private sector to support such efforts. It will direct our focus to priority markets and pool our resources to help industry to fully exploit the massive opportunities that are out there.
I am pleased to tell the Parliament today about two new additions to team Scotland. The first two of our new full-time overseas food experts are now in post in Toronto and Japan and are getting on with their jobs.