S3M-02433 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish National Party): Green Pig Project Begun

The Parliament welcomes news of the trialing of animal feed made from home-grown protein; in particular, congratulates the Scottish Agriculture College for backing the international research collaboration on the Green Pig project that plans to use appropriate home-grown legume varieties to reduce the importation of expensive soybean meal; recognises the need to drastically reduce soya imports that impact adversely on the environmental and social needs of producer countries and the expensive long-distance transport costs of this high-protein animal feed for use by Scottish livestock producers; further notes the likely benefits of lessening the input of nitrogen required by home-grown alternatives such as oilseed rape; and believes that the excellent pedigree of earned by Scottish scientists in conventional plant breeding can be best deployed to develop high-protein animal feed on Scottish farms and crofts that will take a natural and essential place in Scotland's National Food Policy.