Campaigners to hold day of action to support laws on right to food for all Scots

Campaigners are set to hold a collective day of action at Holyrood to support legislation on the right to food for all Scots.

The Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA), a grassroots union of farmers, foresters and land-based workers in the UK, will be taking part in the action as part of the Scottish Food Coalition.

The activists will call on MSPs to transform Scotland’s food system for the better when they campaign outside the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.

As the Good Food Nation Bill edges closer to becoming law, the group is urging Scottish politicians to ensure the legislation paves the way for “meaningful transformation” regarding health, environmental sustainability, fair trade and workers’ rights.

The Bill was first brought before Parliament on October 7 2021 following lengthy delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The group wants the Bill to empower communities to shape their own food system, make the right to food a reality in Scotland, and preserve the local environment for future generations.

Tara Wight, LWA Scotland Policy Coordinator, said: “The Landworkers’ Alliance, as part of the Scottish Food Coalition, wants the Good Food Nation Bill to clearly state that its purpose is to protect the right to food for everyone in Scotland – today and for future generations.

“It means reducing food insecurity, supporting local food production and ensuring Scotland’s food system is fair for all.”

Abi Mordin, farmer and local food systems campaigner, said: “The Good Food Nation Bill is a great step forward in Scottish food policy, but we need to make sure it goes far enough.

“We need this Bill to ensure that everyone has the right to affordable and ecologically produced food.

“This is an opportunity to lay the foundations to transform our food system into one that values the work that goes into putting healthy, locally grown food on our plates, and that sustains our environment for generations to come.”