Feeding the Interest - Community Food and Health

environment, public health and animal health. It also recognisesthe economic, social and environmental role of agriculture in ruraldevelopment. These policy changes should provide an opportunity todevelop the local food sector.A Scottish Executive commitment to integrate economic, social, healthand environmental policies for food could assist the local food sector.Agencies related to agriculture, enterprise, communities, environmentand transport need to work together to best effect. Currentmainstream agricultural policy supports food exports but could providemore support to local marketing. Incentives and subsidies are mainlydirected at conventional food production (especially at farm level) butcould be more focused on the local food economy.In England, there has been some success in joining up food andlocal food agendas. After foot and mouth, and following the PolicyCommission Report into Food and Farming ix the Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has taken a lead indeveloping a crosscutting food group which integrates the agendasand includes a working group on local food x .policykey questionsWhat information is neededto measure the impact offood production on health,environment, economy andcommunity?How can all the relevant groupswork individually and collectivelyat all levels to maximise thepotential benefits of the localfood sector in Scotland?Despite the challenges, there is a clear opportunity for the local foodsector to grow. Local food is moving up the policy agenda and thelinks between local food and the economy, communities, environment,and health are more clearly evident. An integrated, evidence-basedapproach will put the local food sector on a strong foundation. Thetime is now right for a full discussion of the issues and to develop aframework for action.20ix Farming and Food: A Sustainable Future, The Policy Commission, 2002x Local Food – A Snapshot of the Sector, Report of the Working Group on Local Food,DEFRA,March 2003