Scottish Ministers have revoked the measure that was due to start Section 6 of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 next week. The original Commencement No. 4 instrument had set 16 December 2025 for the duty to begin, so the obligation will not now start on that date.

Section 6 matters because it would require Ministers, when exercising specified functions, to have regard to the national Good Food Nation Plan. In plain terms, decisions across government would need to reference agreed outcomes and indicators for healthier, fairer and more sustainable food.

The wider framework of the Act remains in place. Existing provisions already set out what the national plan must contain-outcomes, indicators and the policies to deliver them-taking in climate, nature, health, fair work and child poverty. Parliamentary scrutiny steps are also defined.

According to the Scottish Government’s policy page, a draft national Good Food Nation Plan was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 27 June 2025, with a final version expected after parliamentary scrutiny. Committee scrutiny of draft regulations defining which Ministerial functions would be captured by Section 6 also took place this winter.

Why does the timing matter for sustainability? Agriculture remains a major source of Scotland’s emissions-official statistics report 7.7 MtCO2e in 2022-and progress has been relatively flat in recent years. A clear statutory duty to follow a national plan could help lock climate goals into day‑to‑day decisions.

Food waste is another pressure point the plan is designed to address. Zero Waste Scotland estimates households generated about 460,000 tonnes of food and drink waste in 2021/22, with roughly three quarters of that being edible. Cutting avoidable waste saves money and emissions straight away.

Food security underpins the social case for the plan. The Scottish Health Survey finds 8% of adults worried about running out of food in the last year, with single‑parent households most exposed. UK‑wide, the Food Foundation reports 14% of households experienced food insecurity in January 2025.

What still moves forward while Section 6 is paused? The Act’s content and consultation requirements for the national plan are in force, and committees have been testing how procurement, public catering and local delivery can drive healthier, lower‑carbon meals in schools, hospitals and council services.

For public bodies and caterers, there’s no need to wait. You can start aligning menus and contracts with the draft plan’s outcomes, prioritise whole‑meal and plant‑rich options, and set waste‑reduction targets that mirror Zero Waste Scotland guidance. These steps cut emissions and costs now, and make formal compliance easier once the duty starts.

The immediate ask is clarity. Ministers should set a new start date for Section 6 and confirm how the final Good Food Nation Plan and the ‘specified functions’ regulations will work together. Scotland’s food system-from farm to public plate-has practical levers ready to pull; a firm timetable will help everyone get on with it.