The surprise most popular issue at Scotland’s National Food Debate? Plant-based diets |
This column appears as part of the Winds of Change newsletter.
The war in the Middle East is threatening food bills and security across the world. Last week, David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a “food security timebomb”. The National Farmers Union Scotland also warned of "immediate and severe" crisis in food production.
As I wrote in the early days of this war, this is because so much of the world’s supply of fertiliser passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Many countries are dependent on these supplies and, while the UK is not one of them, farmers here are still exposed to a perfect storm of higher fertiliser and red diesel costs which are set to have a knock-on impact on our supermarket baskets.
So it was of no surprise that in the course of last week's national food debate hustings, held by Scottish Food Coalition, an alliance of over sixty organisations, the cost of fertiliser was raised. A member of the audience asked: "In light of the rising cost of nitrogen fertilisers and the need to reach Net Zero, would you support an expansion of organic agriculture in Scotland?"
I had hoped, as chair of the event, to hear this kind of issue raised. Could what’s happening with fertiliser shift us towards a different type of farming, regenerative, organic, and less fertiliser-based, just in the way the rising price of oil and gas might accelerate renewables?
There was a 'yes' to expanding organics from Paul McLennan, SNP candidate for East Lothian and former housing minister, who said: "For a number of reasons, for tackling the biodiversity emergency,........