A food system planning process

Bristol food plan – towards a resilient food system

Climate Change & Energy Security Framework 2012-15: reduce carbon emissions 40%

by 2020 from 2005 baseline

Adaptation & Resilience (Food is 1 of 19 activities)•Review vulnerabilities of Bristol's food systems by increasing their resilience & enhancing their adaptability (Done – Who Feeds Bristol report) •Support the Food Policy Council to develop an action plan making Bristol’s food supply sustainable

Who Feeds Bristol research approach: ‘whole system’ rather than traditional silos

Identify strengths & vulnerabilities: baseline data

‘Cook from scratch’

Staples from city region

Diverse food retail

Engaged citizens

‘Closed loop’ systems

Indicators of resilience

Developing a resilient food plan for Bristol: suggestions for action

Who Feeds Bristol report, Joy Carey, 2011

Values & beliefs - charter

Vision of how we want things to be in the future

Specific measurable changes we want to achieve to turn vision into reality

Facts and figures on current situation, strengths & vulnerabilities - WFB

Clear city-wide food plan; who can do what by when; to achieve what objectives; which what resources

Good systems of engagement and communication; monitoring and evaluating progress; refining & updating action; ensuring links to other

areas of work in the city

Fitting it all together to create a dynamic food planning process

Clear role and remit for food policy council as enabler & facilitator; action for each FPC member

Developing the charter – ‘good food’ is more than cheap & convenient…

Charter: definition and visionary statement of beliefs to engage a wide audience

‘Good for people, places & the planet’

We believe good food is vital to the quality of people's lives, health and wellbeing in Bristol and also to that of the people who produce it. As well as being tasty, healthy and affordable the food we eat should be good for nature, good for workers, good for local businesses and good for animal welfare.

Our vision is that within the next five years Bristol will become known as a leading sustainable food city, widely celebrated for its:•diversity of successful food businesses from which people can buy a wide range of fresh, seasonal, local and organic, regional and fairly traded, good food products •flagship wholesale market and other infrastructure supporting regional supply chains and helping to make fresh fruit, vegetables and regional staples widely available•‘cook from scratch’ healthy food culture and fun approaches to engaging residents in cooking, growing and city-wide food events•innovative network of urban food producers making effective use of a wide range of sites including the best value agricultural land in and around the city •highly efficient systems for redistributing surplus food and innovative approaches to capturing and re-using energy and nutrients from food waste recycling.

People choose and enjoy ‘good food’.

Majority of meals are cooked from scratch with fresh, seasonal, local & regional, organic and fairly traded produce.

Community food growing is highly visible all across the city.

Enjoyable learning opportunities for food growing and cooking are widely available.

Transform Bristol’s Food Culture - outcomes

Food consumption has a positive environmental impact.

Breastfeeding and ‘good’ food is valued from birth.

Numbers of quality food sector jobs is increased.

Food poverty is eliminated.

Safeguard the diversity of food retail - outcomes

Fresh, seasonal, local and regional, organic & fair-trade food staples are available at affordable prices in all local shopping centres;

‘Good food’ provenance is clear.

Community-led ‘good food’ trade is well promoted and supported; seen as integral to the city’s food system.

The number & market share of independent food retailers & restaurants selling ‘good food’ has increased.

The Bristol Pound is accepted in all independent food retail outlets and wholesale market.

A range of primary producers from the city region are actively involved in the ‘farm link’ initiative. Strategic retail planning is effective in controlling supermarketexpansion and allows only beneficialsupermarketlocations.

Safeguard land for food - outcomes

Best and good quality land is protected and available for food production.

All Bristol Development Framework documents, including local plans, reflect ‘good food’ values and include land allocation for food growing.

Available land meets demand for community and individual food growing.

Community groups, enterprises and schools are enabled to produce food on as much land and in as many food growing spaces as possible.

Land-based food jobs are valued; more jobs exist.

Increase urban food production and distribution - outcomes

The number of urban and peri-urban market garden enterprises has increased.

There is an increase in the number of people involved.

Connection with food growing is the norm for the majority of the population.

Annual volumes of fruit and vegetables supplied from within or close to the city are significantly increased.

Redistribute, recycle and compost food waste -

outcomes

Food waste is actively discouraged.

Edible food is redistributed.

Food waste collection is accurately measured & monitored.

All energy and nutrients from domestic & commercial food waste are returned to food production in/around the city.

City resident participation in food waste reduction is very high.

Affordable solutions enable commercial food waste collections, including options for hotels, cafes &restaurants.

Protect key infrastructure for local food supply - outcomes

Bristol Development Framework protects infrastructure essential to food supply.

Regional and sub-regional food infrastructure supports local production and markets.

Bristol’s flagship wholesale market supports regional supply chains & good food enterprise.

Information exists on the capacity of the city region’s agricultural land and food-related infrastructure to meet food needs of the main population centres.

Increase market opportunities for local & regional food producers - outcomes

Smaller scale producers, including allotment growers with surplus, have easy access to markets in the city.

St Philips wholesale market enables the supply of ‘good food’. A network of retail markets provide fresh, seasonal, local & regional foods throughout the city.

The majority of Bristol’s meals provided by schools, hospitals, staff canteens, universities and colleges are accredited ‘good food’ meals.

Support community food enterprise models - outcomes

Flourishing community food enterprises are operational in food production, processing, distribution, catering and waste in Bristol.

The community-led trade element of the city’s food system works closely with independent food businesses, local communities and public sector especially community health.

Start-up support enables new enterprise development.

Innovative social enterprises are increasing the number of food-related work and training opportunities.

Bee-keeping is valued and supported for its key contribution to a resilientfood system.

For each of the 8 areas of the food plan:

•What is the most useful role the FPC can play?

•What should be the FPC’s priority actions?

•What action can you individually commit to, and by when?

Next steps in developinga food plan:

Review work that we’ve done and email your thoughts on these questions to Steve Marriot

Sustainable food city themes and principles – check list

1. Health and wellbeing for all - Access to affordable healthy and sustainable food; information that helps people make better food choices. All food providers provide safe, healthy and sustainable food to promote the wellbeing of the people they serve. 2. Environmental sustainability - Food production conserve and enhance terrestrial and marine ecosystems and natural resources including soil, water and air: produced, processed, distributed and disposed of in ways that minimise both its local and global ecological footprint. 3. Local economic prosperity - Support local food economies; high number and diversity of food enterprises throughout the food chain. Public and private sector bodies should procure and provide healthy and sustainable food in a way that promotes local economic prosperity. 4. Resilient communities - Everyone should have an opportunity to develop food growing, cooking and buying skills that foster community resilience and individual self-reliance. Planners should ensure communities can access land, buildings and other resources that enable them to take more control of their food. 5. Fairness in the food chain - Workers throughout the food chain, both in the UK and abroad, should have good working conditions and be fairly paid for their work.  Tackling food poverty should be a priority for institutions and policy-makers