Propagate's Dawn heads to Edinburgh for the launch of a landmark moment in Scotland's food policy journey — and reflects on why it matters.
Launch of Scottish Food Commission – 'Making Food Work For All'
On 19th March, Dawn travelled to Edinburgh to represent Propagate at the launch of the Scottish Food Commission: Making Food Work for All — a milestone moment for food system change in Scotland.
The event brought together guest speakers from the Commission's committee, led by new Chair Denis Overton, and included a mini workshop exploring how the Commission can support Local Authorities and Public Health Bodies in developing their Good Food Plans. Under the Good Food Nation Act (2022, commenced 2025), these bodies are required to produce individual plans by April 2028, with the Scottish Food Commission providing stewardship and oversight throughout the process.
The Scottish Food Commission itself is an independent advisory body established to champion a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system across Scotland. It has a broad remit — scrutinising progress against the national Good Food Nation Plan, advising Scottish Ministers, and ensuring that the voices of communities, producers and public bodies are heard in shaping food policy. The launch marks the beginning of its active role in holding government and public bodies accountable to the ambitions of the Act.
For Propagate, being in the room felt significant. We have been campaigning for the Good Food Nation Act for over eight years, working alongside partners and colleagues in the Scottish Food Coalition, and the Commission's launch represents the kind of systemic change we've long been working towards.
Our roots in local food action run deep. In Dumfries and Galloway, we coordinate the Sustainable Food Partnership, which will lead the development of a Regional Good Food Plan in the years ahead. We were early co-founders of the Glasgow Food Policy Partnership and played a key role in supporting the creation of the trailblazing Glasgow City Food Plan. We also hold seats on food partnerships across the country, keeping us connected to local priorities and challenges.
On the ground, our work has taken many forms — from facilitating Kitchen Table Talks that gave communities a voice in shaping the final Act, to running Local Food Resilience workshops that help people engage with the issues that matter most to them. We founded the Galloway Food Hub and are now supporting new groups to establish local food hubs across the South of Scotland.
Seeing that grassroots work now taking shape in policy and institutional infrastructure is exactly what drives everything we do at Propagate.