Scots food and drink group to rethink its targets

The umbrella body for Scotland’s £7.5billion food and drink industry is reviewing its targets in light of inflation, its chief executive revealed. According to the newspaper Aberdeen Press and Journal, Paul McLaughlin, who is head of Scotland Food and Drink (SFD), said recent increases to food prices meant current goals might have to be upgraded.SFD was launched last year, with the aim of increasing annual sales from Scotland’s food and drink industry to £10billion by 2017.It brings together various agencies and groups, such as the Sea Fish Industry Authority, with the aim of directing their combined resources towards shared objectives.The organisation, which has about 100 members, held its first annual meeting last week. After the event, McLaughlin said SFD had made substantial progress, and membership was expected to treble in the next year. He added that the organisation was behind many new initiatives, including a food and health innovation centre, international conference and an industry skills academy.In a robust call to action at the AGM, chairman Allan Burns warned of the dangers of standing still in the current economic downturn. He urged companies to “work differently and become smarter” if the industry was to secure a more profitable and sustainable future.