Children across Scotland are to be taught where their food comes from in a new Scottish Government initiative.

The £2m scheme, unveiled at a national food and drink conference in Perth, aims to improve pupils' health and encourage them to consider a career in the industry.

The project is being backed by celebrity chef Nick Nairn, who wants food education to be given the same importance as reading and writing.

The TV chef said: "What I would like to see in schools is that provision of food education is given the same weight as reading and writing and the other things that schools are measured on, so when the school league tables are drawn up the HMIE inspectors are looking at the provision of food education because it is so incredibly important to our children for thr future.

"It's important for their health and wellbeing but also for the greater being of Scotland. We have this amazing larder, we have the finest ingredients, we know all this stuff but we export too much of it, we import too much rubbish and we still eat too much rubbish."

Richard Lochhead, Rural Affairs Minister, said: "The way we consume food and how we produce it impacts on our heath as a country, impacts on our environment and that's why it's so important that our children understand more about where the food on their plate comes from.

"Nowadays people might think food is from the supermarket if you're at school but we have to understand the implications for our wider lifestyles."