A Blog on Bridging the Gap: A View from Scotland
January 23, 2025
In the UK, food produced using organic methods often costs more than food produced using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Bridging the Gap, led by Sustain, Growing Communities, and Alexandra Rose Charity, alongside national partners Food Sense Wales, Nourish NI and Nourish Scotland, seeks to address this by developing financial mechanisms to make climate and nature friendly food more accessible to people on low incomes. Bridging the Gap is running pilot projects across the UK with the aim of testing ways to address barriers to access and influencing future government policy.
Before looking at how Bridging the Gap is working in Scotland, it’s worth understanding a little more about the work happening within and around Scottish Government that provides opportunities – and barriers – north of the border.
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. It requires Scottish Government and all local authorities and Health Boards to develop and report on cross-cutting plans to address food system challenges; creates a duty to engage in inclusive consultation; and establishes 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.
Continue to read the blog by Simon Kenton-Lake, Nourish Scotland for more information on this work.