May was a quieter month with the SCAF team busy in the background consolidating ideas, building connections, and setting up the next phase for SCAF (while also planning a flurry of exciting events for June). We are particularly grateful to our Advisory Steering Board for their input and advice on navigating SCAF’s next steps past the halfway point of the project: a time to build on our successes, listen to our members, and pivot toward activities aligned with our theory of change.

Two new blogs reflect on the first SCAF residential writing retreat: one capturing its impact on attendees' progress and another, A Walk Through Nature’s Living Tapestry by Debabrata Dutta, offers a reflective look at the surrounding landscape and its ecological impact. 

The Glasgow meeting with the Scotland Beyond Net Zero (SBNZ) team created space to explore overlaps and shared priorities between the two initiatives and opened the door to future collaboration. Prof Rachel Norman and Prof Baukje de Roos represent the Food theme of SBNZ, with several other roadshow events planned (SCAF and SBNZ are meeting again soon, at our June 12th event at the University of Stirling). 

The fourth instalment of our online networking series welcomed new and existing members to connect and explore topics and avenues related to food and nutrition. Discussions explored employment opportunities, cash first approaches, food waste and waste management, innovative tools for dietary assessment, aquaculture, plastic contaminants and food education. These sessions are becoming a useful snapshot of where interest and energy are building across the alliance – the next one is coming up in August! 

We also discussed how our Academy of Citizens (AOC) panel could be instrumental in helping to shape these research areas. The call to join the AOC panel is open until Friday 6th June and we are encouraging members to share this opportunity with their wider network, especially members of the public with no formal role in food or nutrition. The AoC panel will have representation across age groups, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and areas in Scotland, alongside anyone with experience in managing health conditions that impact dietary choices, those with disabilities, and people who are providing care for family and/or household member(s). There are no knowledge requirements to join this panel, which we hope to be an exciting and rewarding process. 

Cover image taken by Debabrata Dutta and featured in his blog.

First published: 8 May 2025

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