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Annual Review 2008: Delivering for the Scottish industry

The Scottish Food and Drink Federation has been at the centre of a series of significant developments and discussions during 2008.

We have ensured manufacturers had an early opportunity to influence the Scottish Government's discussions on a national food policy by kick-starting the process in January with a high-profile workshop at which Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, delivered the keynote address. We are now actively contributing to the development of Scotland's national food policy.

As part of our extensive engagement programme, SFDF has been in regular dialogue with the Scottish Government's Food and Drink Industry Unit throughout the year; continues to play a full part in the work of Scotland Food and Drink; and SFDF played a key role in the formation of a high-profile Sustainability Group, which we now chair.

Building on our Five-fold Environmental Ambition, SFDF secured the agreement of all the main Scottish business support programmes to deliver a coordinated package of assistance to member companies that will maximise their efficiencies while reducing their environmental impact.

This initiative means that companies only need to make a single phone call or write one email to tap into the support offered by the various agencies in Scotland. This service provides manufacturers with confidential advice and on-site support suited to the nature of their company – most of which will be free of charge. SFDF also submitted a response to the Scottish Government's consultation on a zero waste strategy for Scotland and we ensured that our sector's voice was heard in a consultation on the development of a renewable energy framework.

The skills agenda features prominently in our work and we sponsored a 'debating chamber' event in the Scottish Parliament focusing on this issue and actively contributed to the dialogue that led to the development of a business plan for a food and drink skills academy in Scotland.

Our commitment to the health and wellbeing agenda remains strong. During the year, SFDF joined forces with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives and the Food and Health Alliance to establish a Healthy Working Lives Pilot Project for the food and drink manufacturing industry in Scotland.

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