Food-secure Scotland co-organised with SEDA Land & Resilience Constellation

(4-6pm, with networking until 6.30pm)

Is Scotland’s food system resilient or facing a crisis?

Recent extreme weather, coupled with the prospects of El Niño, climate change and trade disruptions have highlighted the issue of food security as a matter of urgency. Commentators have proposed a range of interventions, including stockpiling, a drive towards self-sufficiency and changes to agricultural support. But what is the nature of the problem in Scotland, what interventions are needed, what will work and who should be involved?

This discussion will address:

- The nature and urgency of the problem

- Potential solutions and their limitations

- The roles for government, communities, business and organisations

Chair:

Professor Mathew Williams, University of Edinburgh

Panellists:

Professor Peter Alexander, University of Edinburgh

Jayne Jones, Scottish Food Commission

David Michie, NFU Scotland

Ruth Ashton-Shaw, NFFN Scotland (Nature Friendly Farming Network)

Experts in attendance:

Pete Ritchie, Nourish Scotland

Professor Lindsay Jaacks, University of Edinburgh

Dr Richard Tipper, Resilience Constellation

Poet:

Sophie Cooke, Open University, Scotland