Just Transition – what is it & what might it mean for our food & drink sector? -Scotland Food and Drink Partnership 24th August 2023

A presentation to and discussion with the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership Net Zero Group on what a just transition is, what is the Just Transition Commission is and what are the major challenges and opportunities in decarbonising the food and drink sector. The risk that downstream retailers and foodservice sectors push new environmental requirements onto processors and primary producers with no uplift in prices received was highlighted - meaning that the costs of change will fall on farmers' shoulders. This is why policy needs to enable the sector to adapt and change in the ethos of a Just Transition - and that there is real risks that by focusing on national "envelopes" in terms of GHG inventories (where imported emissions are not accounted for - but emissions associated with exports are) policy may drive land use change in a different direction than the private sector who will be looking how global GHG footprints of entire product supply chains.