In recognition of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste and building on the recent Good Food Nation Bill passed by the Scottish Government, IntelliDigest is hosting an inspiring event on September 29th; Edinburgh- A Good Food City.

The event is bringing together stakeholders within the food system in Edinburgh to discuss measures that will be vital for Edinburgh to lead as a Good Food City. The event is taking place in the Research and Engagement Hub at Heriot Watt University from 10am till 12pm BST.

The Good Food Nation Bill is a world leading commitment by the Scottish Government and a call to action for anyone engaged in the food system from farm to fork. By organising this event, IntelliDigest is demonstrating our commitment to empowering food system sustainability.  – Ifeyinwa Kanu, CEO of IntelliDigest

Why is food system sustainability important? The answer may be found by taking a quick look at some of the food system challenges we are facing:
In Scotland alone, we’re wasting around 988,000 tonnes of food and drink every year- Zero Waste Scotland

• Based on The Trussell Trust report, in 2014/2015, the number of people in Scotland using food banks were 119,212; this number has doubled in 2021 to 224,619.
• Around a quarter of Scotland’s greenhouse gas is linked to agriculture and related land use – including 68% of methane and 79% of nitrous oxides – Scottish Food Coalition
• Scotland’s obesity levels are among the highest in the OECD countries. In the 2019 Scottish Health Survey, the Scottish Government revealed that two-thirds of adults in the country were overweight at that point in time, with just under half of those classified as obese – Holyrood

The food system challenge is a global issue, however, addressing it requires a local approach and collaboration by different stakeholders. While technology solutions are important, it is very much necessary to look at how we implement the necessary changes to deliver the desired outcomes for future generations.

More details about our wider engagement on International Day of Food loss and Waste can be found here: 

https://intellidigest.com/events/delivering-a-sustainable-food-system-with-zero-food-waste/