Food in Fife: councillor calls meeting to get public involved in new strategy

Alycia Hayes, who represents the East Neuk and Landward, believes there’s something wrong with the system when a locally produced loaf of bread is more than four times the price of a supermarket loaf.

Now, the SNP member wants producers and the public in one room to come up with solutions.

The meeting is not a stand alone project. The Food4Fife Partnership is currently consulting Fifers on a food strategy to benefit producers, consumers and the environment. Cllr Haye’s public meeting is her way of getting the community involved.

She said: “Fifers deserve to eat and drink the best produce Fife and Scotland has to offer.

“With a global climate crisis and increased transportation costs, the cost of food is rising at an alarming rate. Better access to locally produced food for local people can enrich lives, improve diets, reduce environmental damage and stimulate the local economy.

“I want to hear people's ideas for ways in which we can overcome the challenges that face us now and in the future.”

Cllr Hayes said she isn’t pointing fingers, but believes the system needs to work better for both farmers and consumers.

“Fife is one of Scotland’s most successful bread baskets. There must be a way for locals to benefit from high quality nutritious food to improve health outcomes and also to benefit farmers as well,” she said.

“It’s about how we can fight the supermarkets who force prices low and ensure there’s enough money for people to pay for the staple foods they require while changing the practices of local farmers to put local communities first before they sell further afield to supermarkets.”

She continued: “It’s a seismic change we have to achieve, but the peripheral benefit of that will be a vast reduction in carbon production and therefore benefit climate and help reach targets.”

The meeting will allow East Neuk food producers to come face to face with local consumers to answer questions and address challenges in an open forum.

Afterwards, Cllr Hayes said she will take community feedback to the Food4Fife partnership to help the strategists come up with a plan.

“I don’t have all the answers,” she said. “That’s why I’ve called this meeting. As an East Neuk resident, I see every single day the amazing produce of Fife. As a councillor I also see the poor health outcomes and financial struggle that people are facing from a cost of living crisis and food inflation.”

She added: “It’s really upsetting to me, and it shouldn’t be that way. We shouldn’t have children going to school hungry when all around them they are surrounded by fantastic produce. We have to be able to solve that problem to improve life for everyone in Scotland.”

East Neuk food producers, retailers and consumers have been invited to join Cllr Hayes at Pittenweem New Town Hall on Wednesday, April 19 at 7.30pm to give their feedback on a new food action plan for Fife.