At a sparsely attended parliamentary debate last week on the achievements of Scotland's first national food and drink policy, Recipe for Success, I was nevertheless struck by the tone of consensus between all parties - and that includes agreeing on the vital work that has yet to be done.

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, began by listing the indisputable achievements and dividends gained since the Government first started raising the profile of food and drink in 2007, followed by Recipe for Success in 2009. 

 The industry's turnover is now £13.9bn, the largest increase in turnover in Scotland, outperforming oil and gas. There's been an 51% increase in the value of food and drink exports and a 32% increase in sales of Scottish food and drink brands across the UK.  

The Sustainable Food Charter, launched at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to encourage local and sustainable food sourcing by caterers to public events, is to be adopted by every event, organisation and town throughout the 2015 Year of Food and Drink.

So, Recipe for Success appears to have achieved everything it says on the tin, or biodegradable cardboard box. It's also worth recording at this point that it's the only such scheme in the UK.

The elephant in the room is, of course, rising obesity and diabetes levels. The waistline of the average Scotsman has expanded by two inches in the last decade, and two-thirds of us are overweight or obese. 

It's estimated that this is set to cost Scotland £3bn by 2030 in lost productivity and health costs. 

Along with food poverty and an increasing reliance on food banks, the situation is all the more shameful given that it's happening while the rest of the world is in awe of the quality of our natural larder.

There's a real imperative to turn the focus to Scots' attitude and access to good, nourishing food. 

Ignorance and lack of curiosity about what's in it and where it comes from still need to be addressed. Other issues are apprenticeships for young people in the industry.

These issues are included in the next phase of the food and drink policy, Becoming a Good Food Nation. 

Everyone in the debating chamber agreed with the aim of making it second nature for Scots (not just visitors and tourists) to buy, serve and eat healthy, tasty, nutritious, fresh and environmentally sustainable food.

 Launched as a discussion paper in June, Becoming A Good Food Nation's been the subject of a public consultation which ended in October, the intention being to seek the people's views on how best to improve our food and drink culture. 

Responses are currently being analysed, though it appears that how to positively influence children's attitudes and knowledge of food, to help them make good food choices, is one of the main priorities.

Lochhead announced that to help him work through these issues, he will shortly establish a Scottish Food Commission to advise on the key areas that need to be taken forward; it will be supported by a network of local champions. Essentially, further progress in our food culture is to come from grassroots level, rather than being a top-down diktat.  

The challenge has been laid down.

In this new era of consensus politics, let's hope all parties work together with Government in achieving these much-needed common goals, while collectively holding the feet of our old dietary habits to the fire.