Government called on to support local food partnerships
Over 114 local food partnerships will descend on Westminster on 13th November.
Over 114 local food partnerships will descend on Westminster on 13th November to catch up with their local MPs and showcase their significant achievements in sparking a fairer and more sustainable food system over the past decade.
In the absence of a unified food strategy from Westminster, and in the context of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, local food partnerships have grown in size and number to fill the gap. Their experiences and stories demonstrate how they have provided resilient and long-term solutions to some of the most pressing issues in our food system – including food insecurity, supply chain disruption and inequity, and the global climate, health and nature emergencies.
The network will take the opportunity to call on the new Labour government to support the establishment of a funded and resourced local food partnership in every local authority, alongside a food strategy endorsed by the council and a Good Food Bill in every nation (already in place in Scotland).
'A better vision for the UK’
The Soil Association’s sustainable food places programme manager Leon Ballin said: “We are calling for a better vision for the UK’s food and farming systems. Local food partnerships offer a proven model for addressing food inequalities in some of the most deprived communities and creating a fairer and more sustainable food system.
“We want the government to seize the opportunity to adopt and fund local food partnerships in every local authority and to support a Good Food Bill in each nation. We are confident that the new government is acutely aware of the shortcomings of our food and farming system and the failure of the previous administration to address this.”
The government has already indicated its willingness to work with local food partnerships in a response to a recent parliamentary question. The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern said: “The government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including local food partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.”
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