Food and drink

The Co-op Foundation is offering funding of between £75,000 - £100,000 to support work in the food and farming sector which reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

They’re looking for innovative projects, movements, or inventions which not only deliver an environmental good, but contribute to real systems change, and can demonstrate a positive impact for people and communities too.

Scotland The Bread - an innovative social business working to grow better grain and bake better bread with the common purposes of nourishment, sustainability and food sovereignty - has launched a Crowdfunder to support its unique community engagement work.

A £25 million fund to improve ventilation in business premises and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission will open for applications next week.

Small and medium-sized businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms will be able to claim back costs of up to £2,500 to undertake work such as the installation of carbon dioxide monitors and remedial improvement work to windows and vents.

Legislation has been laid that will see Scotland ban some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items, with the ban coming into effect on 1 June 2022. 

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

The two-day Scottish Agritourism Conference was a hugely inspirational, educational and enjoyable event.

Measures to limit spread of the disease.

Following confirmation of avian influenza (H5N1) among a flock of kept birds in the Angus constituency, laboratory results have identified the strain as highly pathogenic in poultry.

£41 million Winter Support Fund for low income households.

The Winter Support Fund will help those on low incomes, children and people at risk of homelessness against a backdrop of rising living and fuel costs.

The next steps in reforming the agriculture sector in Scotland

Supporting farmers and crofters to cut emissions and produce sustainable, high quality food have been set out by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon. 

Social enterprise, community enterprise and Third Sector organisations are increasingly viewed as an important source of economic growth, a vital source of support for vulnerable communities and a critical path of the reform of public services in Scotland. One area this was highlighted in during the pandemic was in the use of food banks throughout Scotland with some enterprises reporting a 10-fold increase in demand.