From Field to Fork: the Value of England's Local Food Webs
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Click to enter > From field to fork: The value of England’s local food webs <Previous Next > Contents Foreword by Monty Don 1 Summary 2 Introduction 6 About the research 7 National map of locations surveyed and main local supply chains 8 Defining local 10 Context 12 Characterising local food webs 20 Main findings 36 Local food and the local economy 37 Local food and the local community 49 Local food and the local environment 55 Local food and local planning policies 58 Main recommendations 60 Conclusion 64 Endnotes 66 Summary of mapping locations 69 <Previous Next > Return to contents Foreword 1 Foreword by Monty Don It is a sign of our increasing separation from nature that we are losing sight of where food comes from and how it is produced. The way we buy it adds to this alienation. Food, once at the heart of towns and communities, integral to their rhythm and reason, is often now a side show. It is sold in big boxes on the edge of town. Much of what we buy is highly processed, over- packaged, branded but anonymous, transported from anywhere available at any time. It is hard to remember that these ‘food products’ come from plants and animals, and are a result of myriad complex interactions of seasons and soil, and from the toil of real people. An important message of this report, and its companion reports from across England, is that this direction of travel isn’t complete. It doesn’t have to be a final destination. There still remain networks of producers, store and stall holders established in their communities supplying the best fresh, local and seasonal food. These ‘local food webs’ keep alive links to the recognisable places and landscapes where food is grown, raised or made. The businesses they support keep towns and nearby countryside diverse and distinctive. They are rooted in place and linked to real, meaningful landscapes. The 800 retailers and more than 1,700 producers identified in this project show the diversity of these networks and the abundance they offer: from Cheshire apple juices to Sussex fisheries, from Kent hops to Northumberland vegetables, and from Cumbrian lamb to Devon beef. They, and many more Local food is a powerful way to such networks and thousands more such businesses, are supplying food in form our own connections to ways which bring people closer to the land through community farms and the land, landscape and nature farmers’ markets, school meals and urban food growing, as well as in traditional shops and markets. But this report is an urgent call for action. In too many places these networks are struggling to survive. The odds are stacked against them. They must compete against the dominance of the big supermarkets, the erosion of town centres with the corresponding loss of diversity of outlets and small-scale producers and the disappearance of food from living streets. These trends continue to change and challenge the way our towns and countryside work and feel and the way our food is produced. They threaten the diversity of the farming system and they force up the scale at which farms can survive and rewrite how the land is managed. There are many recommendations here of how we can support local food. Government must fully support these food networks in its policies and guidance. Equally local councils must build partnerships with businesses from retailer to producer and their customers to nurture and grow local food webs. But we too, as individuals and as consumers, make important choices which shape the food system where we live. Local food is a powerful way to form our own connections to the land, landscape and nature. It is a chance to enjoy seasonal produce, to discover the best, most wholesome and freshest food around and the most distinctive varieties and tastes. It is our chance to support a food network that is rich with variety and diversity and meaning. It is a chance we need to seize. From field to fork: The value of England’s local food webs <Previous Next > Return to contents Summary 2 Summary This report presents findings and recommendations from a five-year national project – Mapping Local Food Webs – to engage local volunteers across England to research their local food ‘webs’: the network of links between people who buy, sell, produce and supply food sourced locally. The project builds a picture of local and its main ingredients, grown or food webs, their character, benefits, produced within 30 miles of where the challenges faced and the impact it was bought. For all locations, 61,000 that these networks have on people, outlets were in a core study area of their livelihoods and the character of a 2.5-mile radius circle centred on a Estimated number of jobs their town and local countryside. town or city. Producers based within across England due to local This report brings together findings a 30-mile supply zone beyond this food sales to shoppers from 19 locations to describe local food were counted as local. webs in national terms. We have collated qualitative and quantitative Main recommendations data from interviews in all locations These recommendations are for to generate combined statistics and the Government, local authorities, 16.3 shared themes and issues. The report food retail businesses, local million considers the scale and economic communities and individuals. importance of local food webs in terms Further recommendations appear Number of customers of jobs supported, turnover of outlets across the report. English local food outlets and supply chain businesses, and 1 – Government should develop the could serve each week also their social and environmental competition policy framework to importance. We include analysis of the better support retail diversity and challenging context in which these food entry to markets of new local food webs operate including current policy. entrepreneurs by preventing further We draw conclusions about how policy market concentration which could £2.7 change and actions can enable local act as a barrier for small and medium- Billion food webs to grow and thrive for the sized businesses. long-term future. 2 – Government should develop Potential annual sales national planning policy guidance from independent local Definition of a local food web and to provide stronger support for a food outlets in 750 towns local food sustainable food system by showing across England For the project we defined: how planning can promote and protect • a local food web as the network of the infrastructure and assets needed links between people who buy, sell, to buy, grow, produce and distribute produce and supply food in an area. local food. The people, businesses, towns, 3 – Government should strengthen villages and countryside in the the ability of the planning system to web depend on each other ensure the vitality of town centres by • local food as raw food, or lightly enabling local authorities to set processed food (such as cheese, conditions on the location, scale and sausages, pies and baked goods) accessibility of retail as well as to From field to fork: The value of England’s local food webs <Previous Next > Return to contents Summary 3 restrict the dominance of particular high levels of seasonal local food and turnover; by comparison at three operators in local market areas. persuading others to do so. national chains one job is supported 4 – Government should provide per £138,000 to £144,000 of strong leadership on sustainable Key findings annual turnover.2 food procurement by setting Local economies challenging long-term targets for For the 19 locations surveyed combined Local food webs have other important food procurement for its Whitehall our analysis shows that: economic benefits: departments, agencies and other • local food sales through independent • distinctive, fresh local produce gives non-departmental public bodies outlets support total turnover of £132 outlets a strong selling point to increase food supplied from million a year; over half – £68 million • outlets contribute to the character of sustainable sources. – can, we estimate, be attributed market and other towns, drawing 5 – Local authorities and other public directly to local food sales visitors and food tourists bodies should form partnerships in • local food outlets support over 2,600 • networks of local outlets reduce risk their areas to develop food strategies jobs full-time and part-time of which for producers of relying on fewer and action plans. over 1,500 can be attributed directly larger contracts 6 – Local authorities updating their to local food sales • they offer markets for smaller local plans in the light of the • there are 2,000 supply chain businesses producers (69% were micro- National Planning Policy Framework providing locally sourced produce businesses and 28% small businesses) (NPPF) should develop policies to to these locations supporting total • local food webs are vital seed beds support local food networks by turnover of an estimated £718 for innovation and new enterprises building on NPPF policies on retail million a year and employment of trialling products. diversity and town individuality, support 34,000 people. for markets and protection of fertile land. Local communities 7 – Businesses within local food Nationally, based on extrapolations Across the 19 locations surveys showed: networks should work together to from data from all locations, we • local food outlets serve 415,000 promote awareness, access, broadly estimate: customer visits weekly; nationally, affordability and availability of local • local food sales in some 750 towns across England such outlets could food by developing a clearly defined across England through independent serve, we estimate, 16.3 million ‘local’ brand, developing shared delivery outlets (including social enterprises customers a week and distribution services, and and co-operatives) could currently be • national supermarket chains considering extended opening hours.