Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess has called for urgent investment in Scottish fruit and vegetable production as concerns grow over the resilience of the country’s food supply.

The Scottish Greens MSP says greater support for local food production and regenerative farming is needed as extreme weather places increasing pressure on food supplies at home and overseas.

Her call follows a new report from the Food Foundation which warns that the UK remains heavily reliant on fresh food imported from countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Earlier this year, the UK Government also warned that an over reliance on imported food could pose a national security risk.

Burgess believes Scotland needs to increase its ability to produce food locally while helping farmers adapt to hotter, drier and increasingly unpredictable conditions.

She said:

“Building food resilience in Scotland is crucial if we’re going to successfully navigate the challenge of the climate crisis.

“Over recent decades, our self-sufficiency in fruit and veg has plummeted, leaving us dangerously reliant on countries and regions that are really going to struggle to deal with climate change.

“At the same time, we haven’t moved quickly enough to adapt how we grow food on home soil.

“In 2024, the Scottish Parliament voted to change how we farm and how we fund that farming.

“But the pace of change has been too slow, and this Scottish Government doesn’t seem to have the will to act with urgency.

“As this summer has shown, climate change is already here.

“That’s why I’m urging Ministers to pick up the pace and put more investment into local food production and the farming transition.

“Until farmers and food producers feel confident that they’ve got the Government on their side, they can’t afford to adapt or expand their operations and will continue to be at the mercy of our increasingly unpredictable weather.”

The Scottish Greens are proposing a Transition Insurance Fund to help farmers move towards regenerative agriculture, where improving soil health can make crops more resilient to drought and high temperatures.

The party also wants greater investment in agricultural research, farmer led skills development and support for market gardens capable of supplying more locally grown produce to towns and villages.

Burgess added:

“Our promise to support market gardens would mean more of our towns and villages would have access to high quality, nutritious food, whilst also growing the local economy and creating jobs.

“Boosting our food resilience must start as soon as possible and I’ll be pushing this Government all the way to ensure the process is as quick and comprehensive as possible.”

For the Highlands and Islands, where agriculture, crofting and food production remain fundamental parts of both the economy and community life, the wider question is increasingly about more than what Scotland produces today.

It is about whether Scotland is building a food system capable of continuing to feed people when the climate, and the international supply chains upon which the country depends, become considerably less predictable.