SWA launches Scottish producer project
THE Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has launched a new local sourcing project in a bid to engage its members with more Scottish producers.
Working with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), the SWA has been developing a Local Food Logistics strategy with the goal of helping producers to better understand the role that the wholesale sector plays in the wider supply chain.
The project is being led by industry consultant and former wholesaler John Forteith, who will chair a steering group of industry leaders from national and regional wholesale businesses across Scotland.
The project launch follows a recent survey conducted by the SWA, which found local food typically represented about 30% of its members’ offer.
Colin Smith, SWA chief executive, said: “SWA’s aspiration is to agree a target for increasing and benchmarking against this figure. Increasing this by a further 10%, for example, would be a significant boost to food and drink producers in Scotland.”
John Forteith said: “This is a really important initiative designed to deliver tangible benefits for Scottish suppliers and wholesalers alike at a time when our industry needs all the help it can get to keep our wheels moving and diversify into new markets as we emerge from the pandemic.”
