Skyrocketing food prices and the cost of living crisis have been blamed for a stark reduction in the amount of meat, milk and eggs being bought by Scottish households.
The SNP said newly published research, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pointed to families going hungry.
They have called on the UK Government to act.
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The family food datasets show that since 2018/19, Scottish households have been buying 40% less meat products including beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork.
There has also been a 27% reduction in egg consumption, and a 17% reduction in milk and milk products, not including cheese.
Additionally, 14% less fish is being sold compared to 2018/19 levels, with households also buying 15% less fresh and processed fruit and vegetables.
SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said: “This Tory government is effectively snatching food off people’s plates here, as these sobering statistics lay bare the brutal reality of the Tory cost of living crisis on Scottish households – families simply cannot afford to buy food.
“In contrast, the SNP Government is doing everything in its limited powers to ensure that there’s always food on the table- from expanding free school meals to increasingly the game-changing Scottish child payment and constantly calling for real action to be taken by Tories at Westminster to tackle inflation – but in Scotland, our hands are tied.
“We know from experience the long-term impacts going hungry can have, especially on children, but we also mustn’t forget what this means for Scottish farmers in our agriculture sector, who have been completely forgotten in Westminster’s post-Brexit trade deals, as their sales at home plummet.”
The Herald:
The Inverclyde MSP added: “These figures are scandalous – but this Tory government just doesn’t care. We cannot allow them to take our farming industries with them as they resign themselves to the history books.
“Only with the full powers of independence can the SNP continue to stand up for farmers and households in Scotland against austerity and keep food affordable.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Government’s priorities are clear – the best way to help people across the UK with the cost of living is by driving down inflation and growing our economy.
“There are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty than in 2010, including 400,000 fewer children, but we know some families are struggling, which is why we are providing support worth an average of £3,300 per household, and lifted benefits by over 10% this year.
“To help people out of poverty through work, we are increasing the National Living Wage again and are also investing £3.5 billion to help thousands into jobs by breaking down barriers to work.”
The parliaments’s own climate change committee recommended these kind of changes to diet to hit net zero. That was in a different economic environment mind you. I suspect that people are only able to do so much to replace the nutrition they’re missing out on by dropping meat consumption so much.
Tragically, the busiest section of the supermarket tends to be the damaged and end-of-date reduced section. The food banks are busier than ever, with even less food to be handed out.
I can believe that, it’s probably echoed in our own house. I think one factor might be the poor quality of supermarket meat – we buy our meat from a butcher whose shop is a good hour in the car from the house, simply because the quality of his produce is really good. We could pay the same price for vacuum packed, badly cut meat of doubtful provenance – but why would we?
Scottish households are buying 40% less of everything, because we’re fucking broke, because we’re having to prop up England’s failed government.
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Skyrocketing food prices and the cost of living crisis have been blamed for a stark reduction in the amount of meat, milk and eggs being bought by Scottish households.
The SNP said newly published research, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pointed to families going hungry.
They have called on the UK Government to act.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf’s in-laws cross Rafah border into safety in Egypt
The family food datasets show that since 2018/19, Scottish households have been buying 40% less meat products including beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork.
There has also been a 27% reduction in egg consumption, and a 17% reduction in milk and milk products, not including cheese.
Additionally, 14% less fish is being sold compared to 2018/19 levels, with households also buying 15% less fresh and processed fruit and vegetables.
SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said: “This Tory government is effectively snatching food off people’s plates here, as these sobering statistics lay bare the brutal reality of the Tory cost of living crisis on Scottish households – families simply cannot afford to buy food.
“In contrast, the SNP Government is doing everything in its limited powers to ensure that there’s always food on the table- from expanding free school meals to increasingly the game-changing Scottish child payment and constantly calling for real action to be taken by Tories at Westminster to tackle inflation – but in Scotland, our hands are tied.
“We know from experience the long-term impacts going hungry can have, especially on children, but we also mustn’t forget what this means for Scottish farmers in our agriculture sector, who have been completely forgotten in Westminster’s post-Brexit trade deals, as their sales at home plummet.”
The Herald:
The Inverclyde MSP added: “These figures are scandalous – but this Tory government just doesn’t care. We cannot allow them to take our farming industries with them as they resign themselves to the history books.
“Only with the full powers of independence can the SNP continue to stand up for farmers and households in Scotland against austerity and keep food affordable.”
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A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Government’s priorities are clear – the best way to help people across the UK with the cost of living is by driving down inflation and growing our economy.
“There are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty than in 2010, including 400,000 fewer children, but we know some families are struggling, which is why we are providing support worth an average of £3,300 per household, and lifted benefits by over 10% this year.
“To help people out of poverty through work, we are increasing the National Living Wage again and are also investing £3.5 billion to help thousands into jobs by breaking down barriers to work.”
The parliaments’s own climate change committee recommended these kind of changes to diet to hit net zero. That was in a different economic environment mind you. I suspect that people are only able to do so much to replace the nutrition they’re missing out on by dropping meat consumption so much.
Tragically, the busiest section of the supermarket tends to be the damaged and end-of-date reduced section. The food banks are busier than ever, with even less food to be handed out.
I can believe that, it’s probably echoed in our own house. I think one factor might be the poor quality of supermarket meat – we buy our meat from a butcher whose shop is a good hour in the car from the house, simply because the quality of his produce is really good. We could pay the same price for vacuum packed, badly cut meat of doubtful provenance – but why would we?
Scottish households are buying 40% less of everything, because we’re fucking broke, because we’re having to prop up England’s failed government.