Mikaela Linden Ponders our Appetite for Seeking out More Scottish Produce

Mikaela Linden has really hit the ground running since she joined the team in January.  Here she voices some of our shared frustrations around "Why do we import so much?"  

We’ve all been there: At the supermarket, picking up a packet of salmon, only to see that it’s been sourced from Norway. Or a pot of yoghurt that turns out to be made with German milk; rapeseed oil that’s been brought in from India; potatoes that were grown in Israel… the list goes on.

Scotland currently imports around 40% of its food, and while there is good reason for some of that (we’re looking at you, bananas) much of the food that we import, as with the examples above, could perfectly well be sourced from within Scotland, reducing food miles and carbon emissions from long distance transportation. Every imported tonne of such foods is a missed opportunity for Scottish farms and food producers.

Research indicates that there is plenty of appetite for more Scottish food in supermarkets; a 2026 report from Scotland Food & Drink found that 84% of Scottish consumers want to buy more Scottish produce when grocery shopping.

Meanwhile, 80% say they would be more likely to buy a food or drink product if it had a Scottish flag on it, compared to only 63% for a UK flag. This should of course be approached with caution; what consumers say they want and what they actually do are often different, but it is difficult to deny that there is a demand there.

So how can we go about making this happen? This is a big question with many answers, but it can essentially be summarised in two words: Import Substitution. This is a key focus area for the Supply Chain team at SAOS, and something that we have been working on for many years.

By gathering and analysing market and trend insights, analysing supply chain capabilities, mapping key supply gaps, exploring non-food avenues and providing support in product substitution, we’ve been helping to strengthen Scottish businesses and enhance our food security and resilience.

Some of the key import substitution opportunities we have identified are:

• Eggs - £132m worth of eggs and processed eggs were imported into the UK in 2024, most of them from the Netherlands.
• Dairy – the UK imported dairy to the value of £1.1bn in 2024, mostly from Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.
• Pig meat – combined imports of fresh pork, frozen pork and bacon were worth £2.95bn in 2024.
• Soya – this is an example of a crop that would not grow well in Scotland but that could be replaced by a range of more suitable options, such as faba beans, peas and hemp - this could help reduce the 3 million tonnes of soya imported to the UK every year.

Most opportunities come with challenges - ranging from pricing and climate, to availability, functionality and route to market; there are numerous barriers standing in the way, but there are also many ways to overcome them – especially if collaboration and co-operation are at the heart of your business. Import substitution is not about closing doors; it’s about opening new ones.

If you want to learn more about this, if you have an issue you would like to discuss or perhaps an opportunity to highlight, please reach out to me at Mikaela.linden@saos.coop.

And by the way – we hope you haven’t missed our Sourcing for Growth matchmaking tool, which helps connect food manufacturers with Scottish producers and service providers to support business growth and resilience. Find out more at SOURCING FOR GROWTH