The Scottish Affairs Committee will meet in Glasgow today to hold an evidence session as part of their inquiry Scotland and Brexit: Trade and Foreign Investment.
The committee will hear from representatives of the agriculture and fisheries sectors, as well as food producers, including NFU Scotland, Scotland Food & Drink and the Scottish Seafood Association.
And represenatives from regions who produce food with protected geographical status – such as Orkney beef and Shetland lamb – will be watching developments with interest.
In 2017, Scotland exported £6 billion in food and drink to nations outside the UK.
Alcoholic drinks formed a significant part of the total, accounting for £4.36 billion, while fish and seafood exports were also significant at £944 million.
The major market for Scottish food and drink exports is the EU (68%), but trade with non-EU nations such as China has also grown steadily in recent years.
The session will examine the impact of competing Brexit scenarios on trade, in particular the effects of the implementation of the Chequers Plan or a ‘no deal’ scenario.
It will also consider how trade with non-EU countries could be improved and how Scottish exports can be promoted in new markets.
The session will also focus on the impact of post-Brexit fisheries policy particularly on access to waters with the EU.
In advance of the session, committee chairman, Pete Wishart MP, said: “We are delighted to be coming to Glasgow to hear from the broad range of producers that make up the agriculture, food and fisheries sectors in Scotland.
“It is vital that we understand the impact of changes to trade on large and small producers, from those who work in the fields and on the seas, as well as the producers of world renowned Scottish food and drink.
“We want to see how we can protect these thriving industries and enable them to continue being one of the nation’s great success stories as they seek to expand into new markets across the globe.”