Good Food Governance
By Bristol Food Network and Bristol City Council
Bristol Food Network, in collaboration with Bristol City Council, is today pleased to announce the release of Bristol Good Food 2030: A One City Framework for Action. The Framework aims to transform the city’s food system within the decade, supporting its ambitions on health, climate, biodiversity and social justice.
Food sits at the heart of many of the challenges facing our city:
– One in twelve households are experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity
– The way that food is produced, bought and sold, cooked and eaten, and disposed of, is a major contributor to the climate and ecological emergencies
– 46% of the Bristol population is overweight or obese
Food shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic and current rising food prices highlight just how fragile our food supply is to shocks and disruption.
Over the past 12 months, Bristol Food Network, in collaboration with the council and a diverse range of partners – from grassroots organisations to businesses and academics – has developed Bristol Good Food 2030: A One City Framework for Action, to guide and drive forward further change in our local food system and address these multiple challenges.
Cllr Ellie King, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Public Health and Communities said: “Bristol Good Food 2030 underpins and adds to the work we’re already doing as a council to support families and reduce food poverty in our city.
“The Household Support Fund (HSF) has allowed us to ensure those who are eligible to receive free school meal vouchers. In the last financial year, the £8 million of funding secured for the HSF provided support for over 91,000 households. This included almost 23,000 children and young people being given Free School Meal vouchers during the school holidays. Additionally, last year £1.8 million of funding from the government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme enabled us to provide activities and food over the holidays for eligible young people in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. Food education programmes, such as Children’s Kitchen and Bristol Healthy Schools, are also integral.
“What excites me about this Framework for Action is that it embraces meaningful collaboration with residents and communities, and thus truly captures what good food looks like across Bristol. I am proud to live in a city that has the ambition, expertise, diversity and determination to achieve the goals set out in this framework.”
Heloise Balme, Board Director at Bristol Food Network and Programme Manager for Bristol Good Food 2030, adds: “There is immense power for change that can be harnessed at a local level. We are proud to have worked alongside so many incredible local organisations, academics, public sector
institutions and businesses to set out a bold but achievable pathway towards a resilient food system which works for all of Bristol’s citizens.”
The document sets out a vision for good food which states that:
‘As well as being tasty, healthy, affordable and accessible, the food we eat should be good for nature, good for workers, good for local communities, good for local businesses, and good for animal welfare.’
Some of the ambitious goals for this decade, include:
– Locally produced, sustainable, culturally appropriate and nutritious food is accessible and affordable for everyone
– Climate-friendly, healthy diets and the development of skills to cook, grow and choose good food are taught in all schools
– More food in the city is sourced from local, regional and sustainable suppliers
– The best and most suitable land for growing food has been identified and protected and the volume of land used for nature-friendly food growing has increased significantly
– Less than 10% of household food waste ends up in black bins
– Reusable cups are the norm
So, what change do you want to see happen that will transform food in Bristol by 2030? Do you already have an idea for how Bristol can make this happen? Join the conversation now.
* Required field
