Scottish Crops Supply Chain Hub

Role and responsibilities

Role of the group

• Provide a mechanism to facilitate specialist constructive feedback in relation to the current standards across the cereals supply chain
• Identify industry issues and challenges, recommend any new topics that should be considered for standard review e.g. legislation, the economic environment and new initiatives
• Discuss standard compliance and identify ways of increasing member engagement through communications or technical solutions
• Identify potential industry opportunities which may provide additional market access / economic benefit to the grower
• Proactively support Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) acting as an interface between SQC and other supply chain stakeholders
• Commission supply chain insight and SQC / grower led research projects

Responsibilities

• Represent the arable farming, food safety, supply chain and retail sectors ensuring cereal sector recommendations and discussions are for the benefit of the wider industry
• Provide a consultative role to support FIA and SQC as part of the SQC standards review proces
• Members of the group to liaise with relevant industry groups to encourage two-way feedback and recommendations to the benefit of the SQC Standards
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.

Method of working

Frequency of meetings

• Meet twice annually as a minimum.
• Meetings will be in person unless otherwise stated.
• Quorum of 8 required to allow meetings to proceed

Industry contacts with Hub members

• Group members will be responsible for facilitating contact with all defined groups within the sector and across the supply chain
• Members representing specific industry sectors will be required to provide unbiased feedback from their relevant sector to the Hub
• Group members to encourage feedback from wider stakeholders and represent their views via proactive communication with the Hub

Meeting Chair

• Meetings will be chaired by FIA General Manager or FIA Client Relationship Manager

Minutes and Actions

• This will be facilitated by Food Integrity Assurance representation 

Agenda

• The date of the meeting will be circulated six weeks before the proposed date as an outlook invitation and will be accompanied with a draft agenda and a request for items to be included
• A response seeking agreement to the date of the meeting and any additional items for inclusion in the agenda will be requested within two weeks of circulating the date
• The final agenda will be circulated two weeks before the meeting date

Production and circulation of minutes

• Meeting minutes will be circulated for approval to Hub Members within 2 weeks of the meeting

Representation at SQC standard setting meetings

• The Hub will be represented by Food Integrity Assurance Technical Manager (or appointed deputy) and SQC Managing Director to facilitate two-way feedback. FIA will collate all Hub feedback for relevant inclusion at SQC standard setting meetings