The Scottish Government has established a food security taskforce to deal with the ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The group will be co-chaired by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink.
Along with industry experts, the taskforce will “meet frequently over the coming weeks” to mitigate the impacts of expected rises in gas prices coming out of Russia.
Gougeon said: “The truly terrible events in Ukraine and the resulting western sanctions on Russia are, rightly, changing the way the world does business.
“Our immediate focus as a government continues to be on doing everything we can within our power to support the people of Ukraine and address their humanitarian need.
“We need to take action now to better understand the potential impact of disruption to the food supply chain in Scotland, how industry and government might work together to manage and mitigate those, and be alert to the resulting impact on the cost of food products.”
In recent years, Gougeon said, the food sector has been hit by both Brexit and the pandemic.
She added: “It is clear that the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine will have further impacts – not least through the hugely challenging increases in energy bills which affect households and everyone in the food industry, from farmers to hauliers, processors to retailers.”
The taskforce will seek to respond to the unfolding crisis and make recommendations for business and government.
Withers said: “The establishment of this taskforce is a welcome and an important step, but the immediate focus from the war in Ukraine is on the humanitarian fallout.
“However, it is also critical that we assess urgently the potential impact of the conflict on national food security and supply.
“From wheat and barley to sunflower oil, Ukraine and the surrounding region is a major player in terms of global food supply and agricultural production.”
He added there is a “shock to the system coming” as a result of the invasion.
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