Foreword

Scotland’s beef sector is a jewel in the crown of the food and farming industry, with a formidable reputation for delivering a quality product that commands a marketplace premium. Evoking associations with clean, green images and world-famous beef breeds, and steeped in history, heritage and tradition, beef produced in Scotland is high quality, world renowned and with an iconic brand identity.

When Beef 2020, the predecessor to this report, was written, no one could have predicted events such as the UK’s exit from the European Union and the Covid-19 pandemic, both of which have shaped the past few years, significantly testing the resilience and strength of the Scottish beef sector.

This is now being tested even more in 2022 with the war in Ukraine, which has led to surging input costs and concerns about food security.

However, despite such adversity, we have shown the very best of the qualities of the industry I am incredibly proud to work in, both as a producer and as the Chair of Quality Meat Scotland.

I do not think there is any doubt that the next eight years, and the route to 2030, will contain adversity and challenges. We have a big job to do, with key challenges around both reaching a target of reducing emissions by 75% and setting the industry up to reach net zero by 2045, plus addressing low profitability across the supply chain and maintaining our productive capacity as a food-producing nation. The latter is even more important following the invasion of Ukraine and the global food security challenge.

Despite these challenges, I am excited about the future for the Scottish beef industry. We have one of the most envied natural resource bases in the world, ideally suited to the production of beef.

Scotland is home to world-leading research and development institutes and universities, which are at the forefront of innovating technical solutions to our industry challenges. We are supported by a wide array of passionate and skilled industry personnel, from our farmers, hauliers, feed merchants and auctioneers to our manufacturing workers, vets and butchers. Every single person working in our Scottish beef industry is a vital cog in a machine that does not stop, operating seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.

I would like to sincerely thank the members of the Beef 2030 Steering Group for their counsel in developing this report:

• Stuart Ashworth, Quality Meat Scotland
• Alistair Brunton, Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs
• John Davidson, Scotland Food and Drink
• Martin Kennedy, National Farmers Union Scotland
• Gavin Hill, SAC Consulting
• Scott Jarron, Scottish Craft Butchers
• Sarah Millar, Quality Meat Scotland
• Martin Morgan, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers
• Andy Nye, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers
• Paul Ross, Scottish Beef Association
• Duncan Sinclair, MSD Animal Health
• Neil Wilson, Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers
• Yvonne White, Scottish Crofters Federation