A NEW guide designed to help Scotland’s food and drink wholesalers prepare for climate change and build resilience in their business has been published by the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) in partnership with the Adaptation Scotland programme.
Industry Insights: Climate Change Risks and Adaptation in the Scottish Food & Drink Wholesale Industry highlights the key climate challenges wholesalers face, including extreme weather, supply chain disruptions, and challenges with storage infrastructure – and the adaptation actions they can take to respond.
The guide offers straightforward steps to support the workforce, premises, products, supply chain, and the surrounding environment. It also features real examples from businesses showing how they are already adapting and finding opportunities to strengthen their business resilience.
Ylva Haglund, the SWA’s head of sustainability and communications, said: “Scotland’s food and drink wholesalers play a critical role in ensuring that food is available across the country. This crucial resource provides them with information, guidance, and tools to manage climate risks, implement adaptation strategies, and build resilience.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the Adaptation Scotland programme to support our members to become climate ready – helping to safeguard their businesses and protect access to food in the communities they serve in the process.”
Ms Haglund added: “This new publication is a valuable asset for wholesalers, designed to offer practical, straightforward guidance on steps to take to strengthen wholesale businesses against climate risks, but also seize new growth opportunities.”
Key adaptation actions for wholesalers, Ms Haglund noted, are severe weather planning; flood-resilience measures; heat and humidity management; and building in resilience in the supply chain such as working with suppliers in different regions to reduce risks of running out of stock when disruptions happen.
Adaptation Scotland is delivered by Verture, the climate resistance charity, and funded by the Scottish Government. Emilie Wadsworth, Verture’s leadership programme manager, commented: “Recent extreme weather events have highlighted the impact the climate can have on our economy, in particular supply chains, infrastructure and logistics.
“We are delighted to have been able to work with the Scottish Wholesale Association to produce this guide to support its members in recognising the risks to their businesses, employees and communities, and take steps to become more resilient in a changing climate.”
The new resource has been co-developed by SWA members including Bidfood and Greencity Wholefoods which both feature in case studies within the guide. There was an initial workshop with representatives from 11 companies.
Speaking about its own actions in response to a severe storm in early 2025, Greencity Wholefoods’ HR manager Leigh Galletly said: “When it became apparent that Storm Éowyn posed not just a significant threat to our ability to deliver but also to life, we kicked into action and came together to plan around it.
“As a result of that very extreme situation, and knowing that it may well reoccur, Greencity has devised an action plan to be better prepared for similar weather events going forward.”
At Bidfood, Julie Owst, head of sustainability, said: “Climate change poses many challenges to businesses – operational and financial impacts from extreme weather being just part of a bigger picture of change that businesses need to understand and respond to. Our customers rely on us delivering a reliable service, so taking action to mitigate the impacts of these operational challenges is crucial.”
The guide can be accessed at: https://adaptation.scot/take-action/a-guide-to-help-scotlands-food-and-drink-wholesale-industry-build-resilience-in-their-businesses/
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