Bristol hosts international sustainable food celebration
Today Bristol hosted the Sustainable Food Cities conference organised by the Bristol-based Soil Association, along with partners Sustain and Food Matters. Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, introduced the awards which were hosted by Bristol 2015 at the SS Great Britain yesterday evening.
Each of the awarded cities is an inspirational example of what motivated people can do to make healthy, sustainable and local food a defining characteristic of where they live
The awards marked the beginning of an international Sustainable Food Cities conference hosted by Bristol, the 2015 European Green Capital, which will include representatives from seventy towns and cities from across the UK and Europe.
A rapidly growing movement is mobilising people in towns and cities across the UK, transforming access to affordable and sustainable food as members of the Sustainable Food Cities Network.
Bristol is part of the Sustainable Food Cities network and is working towards a silver award to build on its status as European Green Capital for 2015.
Brighton & Hove is the first city in the UK to make food growing into new residential developments and to require all council food procurement to meet minimum health and sustainability standards.
Cardiff is improving the availability of land for allotments and encouraging community growing in unusual spaces.
Lambeth has developed edible bus stops, and Plymouth has created a cooperative of 30 local food producers that delivers affordable healthy and sustainable food to residents across the city.
Each of the awarded cities is an inspirational example of what motivated people can do to make healthy, sustainable and local food a defining characteristic of where they live.
Today, a leading panel of food experts shared ideas about how to build a truly sustainable food system.
Professor Liz Dowler of Warwick University said:
“Food is not just about calories or nutrition…. it’s about culture, identity and being human… we neglect that at our peril.”
Rosie Boycott, Food Advisor to the Mayor of London, added:
“Good food is a human right – a good school meal is part of the duty of care for children.”
“Food is not just about calories or nutrition…. it’s about culture, identity and being human… we neglect that at our peril.”
The Sustainable Food Cities Network aims to support cities to tackle some of today’s most challenging issues such as food poverty, obesity and the decay of our high streets.
Tom Andrews, Soil Association national programme manager of Sustainable Food Cities said:
“Five years ago there were only a handful of places taking a united approach to promoting healthy, local, affordable food; today there are 40 and more and more are starting the journey each month through Sustainable Food Cities.
“In the absence of national government action, cities are taking on the incredibly serious food challenges that face us all and creating one of the fastest growing social movements in the UK today.
“Food is not only at the heart of some of today’s greatest challenges but is also a vital part of the solution. It will be interesting to see, in the weeks running up to the Westminster election, whether the main political parties recognise the urgency of these challenges and commit to doing what is needed to help tackle them.”
The Sustainable Food Cities programme is led by the Soil Association in partnership with Food Matters and Sustain. It is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and supports cities to transform food culture.
More than 50 urban areas across the UK are expected to join the Sustainable Food Cities Network by the end of the three-year programme in 2016.
