SCOTLAND'S schools and hospitals would be forced to serve only organic food in a Scandinavian-style revolution of nutritional standards, if a plan to be unveiled at Holyrood is agreed.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell's radical plan would be introduced along similar lines to one in Denmark, which is credited as a world leader in promoting organic produce, where the goal is for 60 per cent of organic food in public institutions. He claims the scheme would cut obesity and illnesses associated with poor diets by making healthy produce readily available.
However last night celebrity chef Nick Nairn said that while it would be "fantastic" and a great step in the right direction", it would "never happen" because it would be too expensive and complicated to deliver – he also doubted whether enough home-grown food could even be provided.
The former star of the BBC's Ready Steady Cook show also claimed there was no political will. "I was spectacularly unsuccessful after trying to tackle years of failings in the system," he said. .
Rusk's proposal would make it a mandatory requirement for all public sector kitchens to serve organic food if Government Ministers do not set out their own plans.
"The public sector is a way to drive these healthy food cultures," said Ruskell, the Scottish Green food spokesperson at Holyrood, arguing that we should take inspiration from politicians in the Danish parliament.
He said: "I've looking at the amazing work that's happening in Copenhagen and many other countries in Europe showing the way by using public procurement and the public purse to drive forward a health agenda when it comes to food.
Asked if organic food should be compulsory for public sector kitchens, Ruskell said: "It's certainly something we need to be looking at. We'd look at that and certainly take inspiration from Denmark and look at what works."
But celebrity chef Nairn said there were "too many economic barriers". He claimed there was a lack of political will by decision makers to so drastically change the way public sector meals are provided, adding that the increased cost would put off governments and other authorities.
The chef, who ran Nairns restaurant in Glasgow, was widely seen as a poster boy to encourage Scots to turn their backs on bad diets.
A Michelin star-winning chef, he has also campaigned for healthier school meals. But Nairn said his attempts to convince decision makers to introduce transformative change had failed.
On Ruskell's plan he said, "I'm not against it. I'm very pro-organic food, but this will never happen as there are too many economic barriers. Denmark is decades ahead of us in its relationship with food and we could take a leaf out of their book.
"I had lots of conversations at a very high level, but they never came to fruition and there were a lot of platitudes and hot air. Nothing ever happened and it was very difficult."
Adding, "I don't think we even have enough home grown organic food and we're miles behind in that sense. You would also need to get a lot of people on board to do it and you would need to convince farmers that they could make money out of it."
Asked if it could make food more expensive, Nairn replied: "Yes".
Ruskell pointed out that a similar plan from the former Green MSP Robin Harper had been blocked by the Scottish Parliament in early 2003. MSPs rejected Harper's attempt to convert 20 per cent of Scotland's farmland to organic farming within 10 years.
However, Ruskell said Scotland was now ready for a more radical approach.
Last night, the Scottish Government confirmed that it had no plans to introduce a compulsory requirement to serve organic food in state institutions.
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