Why whisky is worthy in Scotland

Scotland Food & Drink was launched with a mission to grow the industry from £7.5bn to £10bn by 2017 and to build Scotland's international reputation as 'A Land of Food and Drink'.

This summer, the Scottish government announced its first National Food & Drink Policy. The decision to open up the discussion to the food and drink sectors was applauded by Scotland Food & Drink.

Whisky is worthy of a mention given its economic value and iconic status. Scotland is renowned for the quality of its food and drink, and Scotch whisky is perhaps the most internationally renowned of its produce.

Whisky export sales generated £90 every second last year, with the yearly value rising by 14% to reach a new record of £2.8bn. 2007 was an historic year for Scotch whisky, with volume exports growing 8% on 2006 to reach an all-time high. This amounted to 1.135bn  bottles of Scotch whisky shipped overseas, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

Scotland's reputation relies on small to medium-sized firms, which make up most of the food and drink businesses in Scotland. We are trying to encourage firms to share knowledge. The whisky trail in Speyside is a good example of this. However, we need to broaden the scope to include larger segments of our industry to reduce costs, eliminate waste and improve customer service.

Paul McLaughlin, chief executive, Scotland Food & Drink.

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