The Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) represents the interests of the food and drink manufacturing industry in Scotland and has a good spread of members from across the country and amongst small, medium and large companies
Supplied by SFDF
A successful food and drink sector is a vital component of a healthy Scottish economy: the industry in Scotland employs around 50,000 people and generates sales of £7.57 billion and exports worth £3.57 billion.
SFDF is a devolved division of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and works to ensure the industry in Scotland has a direct input towards the development of industry policy.
A key focus of SFDF’s work is to increase the competitiveness of the industry in Scotland by improving the legal and socio-economic environment in which food industry members operate.
“Our job is to ensure the industry’s voice is heard where it matters, and communicates on members’ behalf with legislators, regulators and other opinion formers,” explains SFDF Director, Flora Mclean. “Through the Members’ and Suppliers’ Forums, our members can remain informed about legislative developments, have a direct input to the formation of industry policy and have their say on the wide range of issues affecting the industry in Scotland. We represent members’ views at the highest levels within the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and the Food Standards Agency Scotland and, via FDF, within the Westminster and EU Parliaments.”
There are a number of other key areas in which SFDF is actively encouraging the Scottish Government to take action to ensure the industry in Scotland develops and grows. For example, SFDF considers the Government must pursue a more strategic approach to infrastructure projects, transport, skills gaps and labour shortages.
Addressing these issues and committing to targeted long-term investment will establish a framework, maintaining the Government’s commitment to facilitating economic growth and strengthening Scotland’s attractiveness as a business location.
Other key areas include:
• Better Regulation: SFDF supports the concept of better regulation, and has argued for the Scottish Government to develop a framework of regulation which supports, and does not constrain, our industry
• Sustainability: SFDF is committed to making an active contribution to this issue and has urged the Government to ensure all policies are set to improve the environment, without damaging companies’
competitiveness
• The Food Chain: SFDF works closely with a range of key partner organisations in the food chain such as Scotland Food and Drink, Quality
Meat Scotland and Seafish to develop greater collaboration and has urged the Government to stimulate and support dialogue in this area
Sustainable Development
Through the FDF, SFDF’s member companies are committed to the Five-Fold Environmental Ambitions (FEA), a series of commitments to maximise efficiency, reduce energy use and minimise their environmental impact.
The SFDF-chaired Sustainability Group is made up of representatives from each of the Scottish Government’s business support agencies, including WRAP, Envirowise and the Carbon Trust. This group established an integrated and coordinated programme of support to provide the technical and service support required to enable SFDF’s members to deliver on the FEA.
SFDF has, however, consistently argued that the physical infrastructure in place across Scotland is inadequate to meet industry’s needs around operating more sustainably. With this in mind, SFDF is currently involved in a short-term pilot project with Scottish Enterprise and the Glasgow Caledonian Environment Centre to evaluate an online data management tool that will collect waste, water and energy data from six food and drink manufacturing companies in Scotland.
“We hope that when the performance of the online tool is evaluated, it will demonstrate that data harnessed in this way could be used to persuade Government and/or the private sector to plug infrastructure gaps,” explains Ms McLean. “It would also demonstrate that the industry in Scotland is delivering progress towards achieving the FDF’s Five Fold Environmental Ambitions.”
Delivering Through Innovation
Working with a range of key agencies and organisations on the Education Food and Drink Partnership Group, including Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, and Scotland Food & Drink, SFDF is working to establish a Scottish skills academy to promote the industry as a career destination of choice.
This, combined with the significant progress already delivered on product reformulation and improved labelling information, has both enabled consumers to make more informed choices around their diet and marked out members in the industry as exemplary employers.
Healthy Working Lives
Over 2,000 staff from a range of SFDF member companies are currently taking part in a national pilot aimed at improving the health and safety of employees in the food industry. Facilitated by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, the companies involved in the pilot are Burtons Foods, International Fish Canners, Macphie of Glenbervie, Macrae Ltd, Nairn’s Oatcakes, Pinneys of Scotland, Uin Foods Ltd and SFDF itself.
As part of the year-long pilot, participating companies will be given easy access to support and guidance on the promotion of occupational health and safety in the workplace and mental health and well-being.
Meanwhile, SFDF itself has successfully achieved the Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Bronze Award. “FDF’s 2004 Manifesto included a commitment to encourage our members to be exemplar employers,” says Ms McLean. “As part of this, SFDF determined to show that we could ‘walk the talk’ and aspire to the same goal.”
In achieving the HWL Bronze Award, SFDF undertook a range of activities, including a Health Needs Assessment questionnaire, physical activities and training sessions aimed at raising awareness on a range of topics. SFDF is now working
towards achievement of the HWL Silver Award, and has received a grant of £300 from SCHWL to support its team of three in activities linked to the Award.
Ms McLean says: “SFDF is about offering our members the added value which comes from the range of support services and advice we offer. It is vital, particularly in the challenging economic climate, that we deliver the highest possible service to our members in a way which best suits the needs of the dynamic industry in which they work.”