The main recommendations in our food policy submission are set out below. To read the whole paper please click here.

The Scottish Government should:

• ensure that achievement of high standards of animal welfare is a central part of a national food policy for Scotland;
• improve labelling of animal products to provide consumers with clear information on welfare standards;
• adopt policies aimed at reducing overall consumption of animal products and replacing intensively-produced animal products with healthier free-range and organic produce, as part of the drive to tackle obesity and reduce the impact of food production on the environment;
• lead by example by ensuring that high standards of animal welfare are a requirement in public procurement policies;
• encourage retailers to include animal welfare in their corporate social responsibility policies, ensure fair pricing of high welfare products, promote sales of high welfare products and adopt specific schemes to improve farmed animal welfare;
• encourage producers to view improving welfare as an opportunity rather than a threat and provide support for organic and other high welfare production systems;
• provide support for local authority animal health and welfare services;
• seek to establish Scotland as a world leader in the production and supply of high welfare produce.