Supporting Local Producers
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-2726, in the name of Shiona Baird, on supporting local producers. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the launch of the new farmers' market at Stonehaven as a welcome addition to the many thriving markets in the north east of Scotland; acknowledges the continuing popularity and growth of farmers' markets, "box" schemes and community-supported agriculture initiatives across the whole of Scotland; recognises that many consumers are becoming increasingly selective about what they eat and are now consciously rejecting mass-produced, remotely-sourced food in favour of fresh seasonal produce that is grown or reared locally; congratulates local farmers and producers for establishing a range of enterprising initiatives to respond to growing consumer demand for such produce in their areas, and considers that shoppers should actively support Stonehaven's initiative and other examples of sustainable local enterprise which benefit the local producer, the local consumer and the local economy.
I am delighted to have secured this debate in support of local producers and farmers markets.
I was brought up in the market town of Hereford, in the centre of which the butter market was located. The market would be in an old, covered arcade and some stalls would be present throughout the week. It came alive every Wednesday as farmers' wives sat at long trestle tables selling their home-made produce of butter, cream, cakes, jams, pickles and in-season fruit and vegetables. Their husbands sold their stock at the weekly cattle market. Environmental health and safety rules and regulations put paid to that age-old tradition, but good ideas do not die—indeed, they have resurfaced in the highly efficient and compliant farmers markets that are springing up throughout Scotland. Stonehaven farmers market is only the latest in a long line of farmers markets that respond to consumers' interest in and concern about knowing the provenance of the food that they eat.
The first farmers market in Scotland started in Perth in 1999 and the idea has spread dramatically. Figures from the Scottish Association of Farmers Markets show that there are between 40 and 50 markets throughout Scotland, from the Borders in the south to Shetland in the north and from Stornoway in the Western Isles to Stonehaven in the east. Many more—more than 100, it is estimated—are not registered with the association, many of which, from small beginnings, are now being held every week.
Farmers markets fulfil the need of consumers to know more about their food, including where and how it is grown and, crucially, how far it has travelled. They also open up a real dialogue with farmers and growers, who often have had little or no direct contact with the consumers of their products. That link is vital in ensuring that we farmers and growers provide the product that the consumer wants. Such dialogue is completely lacking with the major supermarkets, which tell both sides that they know what we want.
A well-known organic farmer, Ian Miller of Jamesfield, in North Fife, said recently:
"Many farmers had never seen a customer in their lives. Farmers' Markets represent a new era for the industry."
Farmers markets are not the only method of connecting people and growers directly. Schemes such as community-supported agriculture, farm shops and box schemes play a part in ensuring, as much as anything, a fairer deal for the grower. The Soil Association describes community-supported agriculture as a
"partnership between farmers and consumers where the responsibilities and rewards of farming are shared."
There are a growing number of such initiatives, taking a variety of forms, but I will mention just one in my region. HOPE—the Hospitalfield Organic Produce Enterprise Trust—in Arbroath, is an increasingly popular project of dedicated people that provides horticultural training and work experience for people with learning disabilities through growing a huge variety of fruit and vegetables for the local community.
I received an e-mail from Andrew Newstead, the chair of Orkney Farmers Market Association, wishing us luck with the debate and issuing a plea for more support and recognition from "above", as he put it—I do not think that he was referring to God. These initiatives need recognition and support for the wealth that they create locally, which is spent locally, and for the vital role that they play in supporting enterprising local economies. That role will become more vital as action is demanded of us all to reduce CO2 emissions and our use of energy in the face of rising oil prices as demand exceeds supply.
To maintain the opportunities that are afforded by these local enterprises, we need local facilities, such as local abattoirs, to be retained. In the past few weeks, Scotland's food and drink processing sector has faced a worrying reduction in facilities on the larger scale, with the closure of a pig-processing plant in Buckie and a lamb-processing plant in Bathgate. The vegetable grower Kettle Produce, in Fife, has also cut back. If such bigger enterprises contract, how much harder will it be for smaller abattoirs and butcheries to keep going in the face of all the red tape, bureaucracy and expense?
The Executive must consider the broader picture and recognise that intervention is necessary to maintain the infrastructure that will be required to serve food production and distribution in the more local context in the years to come. Much of the local food market is developed and supported by volunteers, and funding—or, more appropriately, investing—is an issue in maintaining and expanding services. As a former vegetable grower and now a mere weekend helper in the collecting and packing of organic eggs—as well as a lamber at Easter time—I know the amount of work that goes into the growing and producing of most crops. On top of that, marketing and selling the produce are extra, heavy and time-consuming burdens.
I hope that all customers, throughout Scotland, understand the dedication and sheer hard work that go into the produce that is available at different outlets. I know that customers appreciate the quality, freshness and flavour of local produce. By cutting out the middle man, farmers markets and other schemes also offer really good value on everyday items such as vegetables, bread, meat and eggs. I offer my thanks and appreciation for all the hard work that is done even before products appear for sale, and I urge the minister to offer his appreciation in a tangible way by ensuring a more level playing field, so that outlets and the facilities that are needed to support them are given every assistance to be maintained and grow, despite the dominance of the big players in the food retail sector.
I thank all the visitors in the gallery who have taken the time to come here today. I wish them and all their colleagues throughout Scotland every success and a prosperous future.
I begin by declaring an interest as a stallholder and chairman of Ayrshire farmers market, as chairman of the Scottish Association of Farmers Markets and, indeed, as a farmer.
I, too, welcome to the gallery the supporters of farmers markets who have joined us today, specifically Douglas Watson of the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, who has done so much for the development of markets throughout Scotland. I also congratulate Shiona Baird on securing the debate and I congratulate Stonehaven and Balerno on holding their first farmers markets.
During the five years that I have been in Parliament, I have tried to avoid speaking in debates about subjects in which I have a financial interest, but today I must break that rule and I do so with the greatest of pleasure. Often members' business debates reflect constituency or health issues, but today's debate is a celebration of a success story that began six years ago. As Shiona Baird said, the first farmers market in Scotland, organised by Jim Fairlie, took place in Perth on 1 April 1999 and my late wife and I set up the second market, in Ayr, with the help of South Ayrshire Council, on 24 July 1999. It is tempting to say that the rest is history.
Today there are approximately 55 markets operating throughout Scotland and farmers markets have been one of the big success stories in rural Scotland in the past six years. Farmers markets came into existence at a time when Scottish farming had never been more challenged, following the BSE crisis, the E coli 0157 outbreak and the enforced closure due to the foot-and-mouth crisis. In 1999, Scottish farming confidence was at an all-time low, but that confidence is gradually returning and farmers markets have played a huge part in that, delivering benefits to consumers, declining town centres and farmers themselves. It is truly a win-win situation for all concerned.
To our surprise and, indeed, delight, town centre shopkeepers welcome us on market days, because we bring increased footfall as our customers often spend the rest of the morning or the day in town centres. We have not just put a positive public face on the farming industry in Scotland; we have also given confidence to many of our stallholders, which is vital. That new-found confidence is turning many of our operators into significant rural entrepreneurs. Specifically, it means that stallholders are expanding their businesses by opening farm shops and butchers shops and supplying the catering trade. That is why I am so proud of Scottish farmers markets today.
At a time of the greatest challenge to Scottish agriculture and declining job opportunities in rural areas, we have been creating new jobs in what are often the most deprived areas. People such as Walter and Annette Young at New Cumnock now employ 19 people in their butcher business. Jim and Ann Smilie at Corrie Mains in Mauchline now employ two people in their egg retail business. Others are giving farming family members a reason to stay at home on the family farm rather than to seek employment elsewhere.
In addition to the farmers markets, such virtual communities are also in the right place at the right time to supply fresh, locally produced, unprocessed food to our ever-more discerning customers. As we all properly become more conscious of what we should be eating, farmers markets have created in only six years a brand that is identified with healthy eating, quality food and the supply of fresh, locally produced food.
Despite the creation of that niche market, only one in 20 people in Scotland has attended a farmers market, so we still have 95 per cent of the market to aim for, which is an enormous future opportunity. The minister might want to explore with Ross Finnie the possibility of providing further developmental support to the industry, which, thus far, has received little or no financial support, yet is delivering on the healthy eating agenda and is creating jobs in rural areas.
In the longer term, the Scottish Association of Farmers Markets will have to address the continuing expansion of the farmers market brand. The market opportunities exist to develop further our website into a full-blown retail outlet. We should also consider opening up town centre shops using local farmers market brand images, and our distribution networks could and should be expanded.
The industry estimates that Scottish farmers markets collectively are turning over £20 million annually, and we have only just begun. With the help of the minister, this provider of fresh, healthy, local food can grow much more. We can supply not just the niche market catering trade but also mass-market local authority schools contracts, hospital contracts and other public service contracts. With more than 300 producers in Scotland, we have the critical mass to do that.
Local food networks are developing around farmers markets, and Howard Wilkinson has played a big part in that. His networks could and should involve public sector procurement officials.
I thank the minister for attending the debate and look forward to his comments. I hope that they will be supportive of this new brand in wholesome food retailing, which is also a good news story.
I thank Shiona Baird for lodging the motion. The introduction of farmers markets has been one of the few bright spots in the agricultural world in recent years. It has been wonderful to see food producers meeting consumers and to see producers who are successful in their marketing being supported by buyers. In the Mid Scotland and Fife area, there are excellent examples of farm businesses that have been transformed by their involvement in direct selling at farmers markets.
However, a reality check is needed. Even with the continued expansion of farmers markets, only a small percentage of all food produced in Scotland will be sold at such markets. John Scott indicated that last year some £20 million-worth of food was traded at such markets, whereas the total output from Scottish agriculture last year was close to £1.6 billion. The value of the market must be kept in perspective. For example, only a small percentage of lamb produced in Scotland is consumed here. While I fully support questions being raised about food miles, we in Scotland must remember that we need to use food miles to sell our beef and lamb in other countries. We do not have the population to consume all the food that we produce.
I am surprised to note that I am the third stallholder to speak in the debate. In a previous life, I produced strawberries and sold them direct to customers from a market stall in St Andrews. It was hard work. A friend who had a fruit farm near Birmingham pointed out to me that there was a bigger population within 20 miles of his farm than in the whole of Scotland. That point highlights one of the difficulties faced by Scottish farmers.
While I fully support farmers markets, they are not the whole answer. I urge those who are involved in such markets to take up some of the issues raised by John Scott in the second part of his speech. They must be prepared to take their marketing forward, from selling from individual stalls to co-operating so that they can access markets that they currently do not have the time or energy to access. As politicians, we have an obligation to ensure that small-scale producers are not swamped by bureaucracy, which brings to mind the amount of paperwork that is involved in getting a small slaughterhouse approved under the Meat Hygiene Service regulations. Overall, I support the motion.
I draw the attention of members to the entry in my register of interests: I have a three-acre field. I do not farm the field but my neighbour keeps Soay and Suffolk sheep in it. I have never operated a stall at a farmers market so, unfortunately, I break the sequence set by previous members. However, I am an avid supporter of farmers markets.
Last Saturday I was at the farmers market that operates in Macduff fish market. I had a particular purpose in mind: I felt a cold coming on and I wanted to buy honey to address it. I found the honey and my cold is now in remission. Many of the products that have a direct link with nature provide a natural remedy for life's ills.
Andrew Arbuckle said that we must be cautious when considering this subject and I agree with him in some respects. The motion appears to reject mass production, but I do not go as far as that. On the contrary, we can have excellent-quality mass producers of food in our country and excellent-quality food produced en masse. We can also have small producers who produce poor-quality food. Scale is an issue and it is easier to manage small enterprises, but we should not be captivated by the idea that scale is the essence of the matter.
Does not Stewart Stevenson recognise that the motion notes that it is consumers who choose to reject mass-produced food? If consumers want to reject it and choose locally produced food, surely they should be encouraged to buy locally produced food that comes from Scotland.
I certainly accept that point and acknowledge what the member says. However, implicit in some of what has been said so far is the idea that big equals bad and small equals good. If only it were so simple, we could run the world.
Farmers markets are efficient in shortening the supply chain and that is excellent. However, we should not imagine that that leads to CO2 efficiencies, as the contrary happens: we transport small amounts of food using relatively large amounts of fuel. Therefore, the case is uncertain and we need to consider the matter further.
It is possible for large producers to have excellent ways of indicating the provenance of food. For every piece of its chicken in a supermarket, Grampian Country Foods can tell people where the particular piece of meat came from as far back as two generations of chicken. Good systems can operate well in large companies when they choose to use them.
When I go to John Stewart's in Banff to buy my meat, he tells me which field it came from, which farmer it came from and sometimes, just to tease me, the name of the beast that I am about to eat.
This is a new era for the food industry, but farmers markets are, in essence, a niche industry and will remain as such, not least because, unfortunately, we have a huge hill to climb if we are to persuade the majority of consumers to go elsewhere than supermarkets.
Some supermarkets do relatively well. Some of my local producers have had excellent experiences with Asda since it opened its store in Peterhead and there is a range of local products—
Notwithstanding Stewart Stevenson's remarks about farmers markets being a niche organisation, I presume that he is not against their expansion.
Good heavens, no. I am absolutely in favour of their expansion, but I am not sure that I can yet see the day when everyday staples are bought at a local farmers market every day. Many of the markets are held once a month, fewer are held once a week and I do not think that any of them are held every day. Shops are supplied directly by producers and I give my support to such shops wherever possible, but access to good value veg, bread and meat every day is a little way off.
We should give financial support where appropriate. Farmers markets have the advantage of not having shop premises, so the business rates burden is rather less, but they make a valuable and key contribution to building enterprise in the countryside. Such enterprises are a key way of building new jobs and the answer is one at a time.
I congratulate Shiona Baird on lodging the motion for debate.
The motion is an excellent one on a subject for which we should show support. It is obvious that farmers markets alone will not feed the world, but they are doing a good job and can do a lot more.
I have experience of the Edinburgh farmers market, which has been going for some years, as a shopper and as a politician. I try to support the Kilsyth farmers market, which has some problems with local regulations, bureaucracy and traffic. Some farmers markets could do with political support to sort out their problems. Andrew Arbuckle mentioned the very important issue of co-operation. A lot of continental European farming and marketing is based on such an approach, which we have been slow to take. If local producers co-operate, they can achieve greater market penetration. Politically, we could encourage organisations such as community councils or local community development trusts to develop farmers market activity and to set up co-operatives.
As far as persuading people to buy such products is concerned, good progress is being made with individual citizens. However, we need to apply some pressure with regard to public procurement. As far as I know, the Women's Royal Voluntary Service gets all its sandwiches from deepest England or Wales. Surely it could use local produce. Moreover, schools buy produce en masse and even the Parliament gets much of its food from wherever Sodexho can find it most cheaply. I suggest that the minister should consider encouraging public procurement to give more attention and encouragement to local suppliers and to give them a fair chance to compete successfully.
I find it disturbing that, in many parts of Scotland, it is impossible to buy good-quality local Scottish produce, especially seafood. It is all exported. I am all for exporting—after all, it makes money—but surely there must be a market in Scotland for the good-quality food that we produce.
One very real difficulty is the fact that in Norway, for example, herring fetch twice the price that they fetch in Scotland. Until consumers in Scotland are educated in paying higher prices, we will not see our excellent food on the shelves in the quantity that we want.
That is a fair point. We have to encourage people to pay for good quality.
I am disappointed to find that what could be called the pick-your-own-fruit industry, certainly in this part of the world, is in decline. Surely that is a kind of farmers market. Picking one's own fruit is an excellent activity; it makes for an excellent family outing and is very good for grandchildren, who can eat what they gather. It is a win-win situation, and I cannot understand why fewer and fewer people are taking up such activities. I am not sure whether some form of regulation or simple encouragement would help the matter.
I hope that all of us can encourage farmers markets. They will not solve the world crisis, but they can—and have started to—make a significant contribution. Collectively, we can do a lot more.
I congratulate Shiona Baird on securing this members' business debate. I realise that the debate is probably not the most hotly contested, but it is certainly well attended, which reflects the fact that we are all interested in farmers markets.
I should say that I have nothing to declare. I have never produced anything for such markets and I suspect that I never will; I am a simple consumer of their goods. However, I appreciate the opportunity to buy the goods that are sold at farmers markets. Indeed, in my constituency, the market in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh city centre has become a very popular institution that regularly takes place and attracts people. Not only is the market popular with many city residents, but visitors to Edinburgh find it to be a very good advert for Scottish produce. The Edinburgh city centre partnership supports the market because it represents something different that adds to the city centre's vitality.
Farmers markets raise a number of issues, some of which are covered in Shiona Baird's motion. For example, one unique feature is that farmers are able to market directly to consumers. Another important aspect of the relationship with consumers is the stewardship of land. We expect to be told where the meat has come from and exactly how long ago the vegetables were grown. We also expect somebody to be able to tell us how long it will be before they are past their best—not a sell-by date, but when it is best to use them.
Awareness about healthy eating could come from farmers markets. The motion mentions seasonal produce, which is an idea that many consumers have lost touch with. When we buy something that is cling-wrapped and has a sell-by date on it, the point in the year when it has been produced and the place where it has been produced are not so important. We would do well to build a better relationship with food producers to promote healthy eating. I know from friends who have allotments that their perspective on vegetables is totally different from mine, because they know what is available when. Farmers markets could be part of a wider movement to encourage people to think about what they are eating. The Scottish Parliament should definitely encourage that.
How does the minister see farmers markets as part of the Executive's strategy for agriculture? We have debated the issue of organic produce many times. A high proportion of the produce at farmers markets is organic, and I would like to see how the Executive is taking on that issue, because it is some time since the strategy for agriculture was published.
Common agricultural policy reform poses a lot of challenges. Again, it lets us think about the quality of produce and the environmental implications of produce being brought to us. Marketing is critical; quite a few members have mentioned that. A small local co-op may not have access to the expertise or marketing that big farms can take for granted. I am keen to hear what the Executive is doing to promote better marketing and better support for farmers as part of a whole approach to supporting rural communities.
The CAP reform issues that the Environment and Rural Development Committee discussed were about the use of food co-ops, access to farmers markets and diversification. We considered how rural development instruments could be used in a more proactive way. Members have mentioned abattoirs and finishing produce locally; we could tap into that. The committee looked particularly enviously at some of the farmers co-operatives in Germany, where farmers have managed not only to produce the food in reasonable quantities for a reasonable price but to market it effectively. There is a lot that we can learn.
We should not think of farmers markets as being only for agricultural produce. One of the things that makes the markets interesting to consumers is the range of rural projects that turn up, such as crafts and cosmetics made in Scotland. Such things add interest and value to the markets.
The debate is about how we support smaller producers, and farmers markets are a tangible and effective way of bringing the issue to our attention. Colleagues have reflected on the issue of economic scale, and I believe that that is an area in which the Executive can step in. The support of the city centre partnership in Edinburgh has helped the farmers market through some of the hoops and difficulties that Donald Gorrie described. We need a proactive and supportive approach, and the Executive could send a positive message through a refreshed strategy for Scottish agriculture. I would like very much to see support for smaller producers, so that they can access not only farmers markets but our supermarkets and shops.
I add my congratulations to Shiona Baird on her motion and I endorse the importance of supporting local producers. In the light of climate change and global warming, it is good that the public are increasingly aware of the issue of food miles. It is also good for local economies to keep money within them.
As other members have said, farmers markets are increasingly taking place in marketplaces and market squares across Scotland. Those are the places that were actually built to accommodate them—why otherwise would they be called marketplaces or market squares? Farmers markets are building a regular customer base, as I have seen in my home town of Inverurie, where the monthly farmers market is now solidly established and expanding. The only declaration of interest that I have to make is that I am a regular customer there. I recommend the home baking.
Farmers have access to other forms of direct selling, from fairly crude stalls at the roadside to highly successful farm shops, of which there are some in my area. Those shops are proper retail outlets, marketing and selling produce from the farmers themselves; often they sell locally grown beef, which is excellent. However, we should not forget the high street shops. A good example, which I commend, is the greengrocer's in Inverurie, which sells fresh fruit and vegetables that are sourced from local growers and operates a box scheme. The butchers in our market town source their meat locally and it is worth mentioning the fish vans that operate out of our local ports and bring fish off the boats to communities. The businesses that I described are small businesses that are doing their bit to encourage us to eat fresh fish and other good food.
John Scott mentioned the catering trade. Tourism is a major industry and tourists look out for local produce, because they want to enjoy eating something that is distinctive to the place that they are visiting. There is much scope for the catering trade to do more to support local producers. During an interesting presentation at the Parliament's cross-party group on food, the speaker, who procures food for Aberdeenshire Council's school meals, pointed out that if certain varieties of vegetable or fruit are specified, local produce will be supplied.
I highlight an initiative whereby participating retailers market produce from Aberdeenshire under a distinctive sign that shows that it is from the county. The initiative is very effective in encouraging visitors to take locally produced goods home to their friends and family. Once they have tasted shortbread from Dean's of Huntly or products from Isabella's Preserves, I am sure that they seek out those products in their local stores, which brings me to my final point. We must also support local producers who are food exporters and support as much value added as possible as near to the primary producer as possible.
I thank my colleague Shiona Baird for securing a debate on supporting local producers. I also thank the many members in the chamber, who have resisted the joys of election leafleting to spend a couple more hours in these hallowed halls.
There is a serious crisis in our food culture, not just in Scotland but throughout the western world. Much of that crisis results from the divorce between producers and consumers that has taken place, which Sarah Boyack mentioned. I am sure that all members have heard shock stories about children who do not know where potatoes and milk come from. However, if children do not have access to farms and contact with producers, how can they understand about their food? The challenge in Scotland is to recreate our food culture and the re-establishment of the direct link between producers and consumers is vital. If we are to achieve that, we will have to start sharing responsibilities between producers and consumers, as Shiona Baird said. For example, consumers have a responsibility to pay a fair price to the producer, as Stewart Stevenson said, but farmers and producers have a responsibility to be responsive to the customer's needs and to consider how food is produced.
It is extremely difficult to mediate the relationship between consumers and producers, because our supermarket system involves complex monopolies and food supply chains that often extend for thousands of miles. Supply chains are opaque and do not bring together producers and consumers. There are examples of good practice by the Co-operative supermarket movement, but many more face-to-face, direct relationships need to be established.
During the debate it has been a joy to hear about the range of direct marketing initiatives that are flowering in Scotland, from farmers markets, farm shops and box delivery schemes to subscription farming systems whereby consumers pay up front for a share in the harvest. I pay tribute to the many initiatives in Mid Scotland and Fife. The first farmers market was established in Perth in 1999 and one of the newest farmers markets has been established in Bridge of Allan. The direct marketing of our food culture is flourishing and we should support it.
I will make a few points to the minister. We need to ensure that city regional planning does not design our marketplaces out of our towns and cities, so that we have those spaces for the future and can grow into them and develop a local retail culture.
We need to be ambitious. I realise that farmers markets form only a small niche in food retailing at the moment, but when I go to France I see covered markets where small artisan producers share the space and lots of people do their weekly shopping. We need to think big. We need to think about how we can develop a genuine local retailing sector. I urge the minister to support small producers.
Does Mr Ruskell think that it would be appropriate for the major supermarkets to be made to allocate a certain percentage of their shelf space to local produce?
One way forward would be to examine the Office of Fair Trading's report on supermarkets and to examine the complex monopoly under which supermarkets operate. We need to put more conditions on mainstream retailers, but we should not ignore what we have at the moment. We should expand the local retailing sector. We can be ambitious.
We need to examine how we support small producers, many of whom are concerned that they do not qualify for the single farm payment. There needs to be a level playing field for existing producers and for producers who are coming in, particularly in areas such as horticulture and deer farming. We also need some creativity from the Executive. The option of paying farmers to get involved in local marketing schemes has been rejected in the trial land management contract. We need to see support for local marketing in 2007. As Shiona Baird said, it is not easy to change one's business to ensure that one can slot in to the initiatives. Farmers need support to do that. They are delivering public goods and rural development.
We need co-ordination from the Scottish Executive to develop local food economies. That includes procurement, but also co-operative ventures. We need to celebrate our local food economies, but we need to develop them further. We need to develop a real food culture that can deliver a healthy population and a healthy environment, but we also need some imaginative thinking from the Executive on how we can do that.
I congratulate Shiona Baird on securing the debate and highlighting the new farmers market at Stonehaven and other farmers markets throughout the north-east and the rest of Scotland. As a regular customer of the monthly Aberdeen country fair on Belmont Street in my constituency I can, like others, vouch for the quality and variety of the produce that is available and the contribution that such markets make to promoting choice for consumers.
Farmers markets are good news for consumers. They also contribute to the kind of change that we look to farmers to make. Sarah Boyack mentioned the agriculture strategy. In that context, we look to farmers to make changes as a result of reform of the common agricultural policy. Farmers in future will need to be more responsive to the requirements of the market. Farmers markets provide an ideal opportunity for producers to meet customers face to face. There is no better way to reconnect agriculture with the market than through direct contact. Hopefully, that will also contribute to increased understanding of the food production process among children and adults who live in urban Scotland.
We welcome farmers markets in principle, but we also support them in practical ways. We provide funding in excess of £300,000 a year to the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, which in turn supports the Scottish Association of Farmers Markets in providing practical advice to those who are setting up new markets, such as those at Stonehaven and Balerno. We also support many individual businesses through our food grants schemes, with more than £28 million of grant assistance to agricultural food businesses in the past four years. Shiona Baird mentioned Jamesfield farm. Organic Meat and Products (Scotland) Ltd, which is based there, is a good example, as it has received grants of more than £350,000 to help to meet consumer demand.
Procurement issues have been mentioned. We are taking action to encourage the use of local food in schools, hospitals and other public services. Our guidelines on public sector procurement encourage public bodies to ensure that suppliers meet appropriate farm assurance standards and to secure local fresh and seasonal produce of high nutritional quality in the interests of Scottish consumers.
The minister mentioned the Executive's public sector procurement policy. An announcement was made on the enhancement of that policy last summer. What increase has there been in public sector procurement of locally produced food as a result of that?
I point Mr Scott in the direction of the research that we published last week, which he should be able to access fairly readily on the Executive's website. As well as estimating that that market is worth some £85 million, it highlighted some of the trends in the market and some of the obstacles that prevent local producers from getting access to it. The research was clear and we accept its conclusion that it is key that we increase awareness among producers of the opportunities that exist for tendering and competing in the marketplace, as that could make a serious difference.
Those who award public contracts cannot discriminate between Scottish produce and food that comes from elsewhere purely on the basis of country of origin, but there are significant opportunities for Scottish suppliers to compete with other suppliers on an equal footing, on the basis of quality, value, freshness and reliability of supply. Our priority is to ensure that Scottish suppliers are as well informed as possible about those opportunities.
We are exploring the possibility of giving consumers more information by introducing country-of-origin labelling for beef that is sold in restaurants and other food-service outlets. We also want to give consumers elsewhere a greater choice of Scottish produce and more opportunities to enjoy it. Everyone knows about the value of outstanding exports such as whisky and salmon, but the farmers markets offer good examples of other types of Scottish produce that we would like to export, for which there are ready markets elsewhere in the UK and abroad. As well as encouraging local producer-to-consumer direct marketing, farmers markets are relevant in the context of efforts to promote opportunities for Scottish producers nationally and internationally.
If we are serious about consumer choice, we need to recognise that consumers will continue to choose to shop at supermarkets and convenience stores, as well as at farmers markets, which represent a growing sector. In that regard, there are some important issues to be addressed. Quality and traceability matter, but so do quantity and range. We want retailers of all kinds—not only in Scotland but throughout the UK—to stock as much Scottish produce as possible. My colleagues and I speak to supermarkets and other retail interests to reinforce that message and the more general message of sustainability.
Regardless of how successful our local producers are, we will continue to need to bring some foods into Scotland, both so that we can eat more fruit and vegetables to improve our health and so that we can enjoy a wider variety of produce than can be obtained seasonally in Scotland. We should not underestimate the importance of providing consumer choice. At the beginning of my speech, I mentioned the Aberdeen country fair. I should also mention last month's international market in Aberdeen, which attracted some 70 stalls from different parts of Europe and some 70,000 shoppers, who typically bought speciality produce from continental countries that would not otherwise have been so readily available. That is another example of producers selling directly to consumers, even if in that case the producers were not local. That, too, should be welcomed for some of the reasons that I have outlined.
The Executive's view is that farmers markets can make a significant contribution to providing what consumers want. We welcome their contribution and that made by farm shops—which some members have mentioned—and local food initiatives. Through direct selling to consumers, they all play their part in cutting the length of the supply chain between producer and consumer.
Is the minister aware that there is now a small farmers market—the new Leith market—in the car park of the Scottish Executive at Victoria Quay? Will the Executive smile on that new development?
I have not yet had the opportunity to sample the produce at the market to which Mr Harper refers. I imagine that the civil servants at Victoria Quay who are kept hard at work but who have the occasional opportunity to venture outside will take advantage of the opportunities that the market offers. I am happy to applaud the growing success of farmers markets.
To encourage farmers across Scotland to actively sell locally, will the minister, together with his colleague Ross Finnie, consider Mark Ruskell's suggestion of including local marketing schemes on the menu of options for the land management contract? That would attract the support of the land management contract for such activity.
I do not want to go into the detail of the discussions that are taking place on the land management contract. I know that John Scott is well aware of the process of negotiation that is going on internationally on the subject and also of the Scottish Executive's efforts to ensure that the process brings environmental and health benefits to producers and consumers in Scotland. I suspect that his suggestion is one of the options that Ross Finnie is considering.
Clearly, farmers markets are a vital part of the spectrum of activity that makes up the thriving Scottish food industry to which I have referred. On behalf of the Executive, I am happy to applaud the best efforts of all those involved in the farmers market movement and more generally in the production, marketing and selling of Scottish food.
Meeting closed at 17:01.