Award of ARE/001/26 - Understanding the Small Edible Horticultural Industry in Scotland

IntroductionThe Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate of the Scottish Government would like to understand more about the small scale edible horticultural industry in Scotland.Background & ContextThe Vision for Agriculture sets out the Scottish Government’s ambitions to produce high quality, nutritious, local food. Although the edible horticultural industry has long been recognised as producing high-quality food, the sector is varied and complex, and we are now seeking a greater understanding of the sector as a whole in order to identify potential gaps in support.Fruit and vegetables are important for nutrition, and are sectors in which Scotland produces less than its requirements. Increased production would therefore be positive, as would a diversity of businesses in this sector to provide resilience. However, it is currently unclear how significant the contribution made by small producers is, or has the potential to be, in terms of volume, affordability, and reliability.The Scottish Government has one dedicated horticultural support scheme, the Fruit and Vegetables Aid scheme. This scheme relies on collaboration with other producers, and has conditions attached which are perceived as not suitable for some of our smaller horticultural producers. The Scottish Government would like to now focus on those smaller producers, who are unlikely to claim for area based payments, to understand their businesses, in order to consider what potential support could be offered.These smaller producers may be selling their produce via a number of ways, including but not exclusive to box schemes, local independent retail, or to hospitality. Any business model should be considered as in scope of this study, providing they meet the definition set out in the next section.The Scottish Government seeks to understand the different business models which small horticulture producers follow. We wish to know what is successful, what causes failure and what contributions they make to Scotland’s food supply.