The Living Good Food Nation Lab is a dynamic collaboration among academics, policymakers, and community advocates dedicated to investigating and supporting the rollout and implementation of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act.

Collage of diverse images depicting Scotland's food industry, including scenes of industrial farming, urban gardening, coffee bean production, and livestock rearing, highlighting the nation's diverse initiatives and potential to transform into a Good Food Nation

Established in response to the passing of the visionary Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, our lab serves as a hub for research, discussion, and action. Here, academic, policy and civil society stakeholders are uniting to drive forward the vision of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act to deliver a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system for all in Scotland. Through rigorous research, strategic policy development, and vibrant community engagement, we will provide essential support and critical insight as the Scottish Government and all Scottish Local Authorities (32) and territorial Health Boards (14) produce their 1st Good Food Nation Plans.

Good Food Nation Act

In response to growing global and local calls for food systems transformation, and years of policy and legislative consultation (2009-2022), the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 in June 2022. Hailed as ground-breaking, progressive and transformative food systems legislation, the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 is an innovative legislative framework designed to foster a healthier, fairer and more sustainable Scottish food system for all. Providing the statutory and policy framework required and the conditions, and independent scrutiny mechanism needed to drive forward food systems transformation in Scotland, the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act places statutory requirements on the Scottish Government and all relevant authorities (defined as the 32 Scottish local authorities and 14 territorial health boards) including the requirement to produce National and Local Good Food Nation Plans respectively.

Find out more about the Good Food Nation Act

Living Good Food Nation Lab

Funded by the Wellcome Trust under their Advancing climate mitigation policy solutions with health co-benefits in G7 countries (Project No. 227154/Z/23/Z), our Living Good Food Nation Lab, composing a transdisciplinary consortia of academic, policy and civil society partners, will provide essential analytical support to relevant authorities in planning and developing their 1st Local Good Food Nation Plans, build connections, competencies, confidence and comfort in systems thinking within Scotland’s community of practice for food systems transformation, advise on the effective delivery of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act and showcase the opportunities for, value in, and need for, innovative metrics, ways of working and partnerships to deliver the ambitious vision of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.

Our Vision for the Living Good Food Nation Lab Organisational Units of the Living Good Food Nation Lab