Scottish Smallholders Festival

October 26, 2021

Our Head of External Affairs, Ellie Burnage, spoke on a panel at the Scottish Smallholders Festival on Saturday 23 October.

The panel discussion looked at the need to support local abattoirs and sustainable food production, with speakers including Christopher Price, CEO of the RBST, and Jane Prentice of Downfield Abattoir. 

The takeaway from the session was that future farming policy which incentivises farmers to produce rare and native breed livestock must be backed by investment in a network of abattoirs which cater for private kill and non-standard animals. 

The panel also discussed the potential of mobile abattoirs, and the need to reverse the decline in existing abattoir provision to support a strong local food network. 

Ellie was invited to speak following the publication of our research report, All on the Table, which looks at the need for a network of UK abattoirs.