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Creating a Sustainable Food System in Brighton and Hove Clare Devereux, Food Matters Vic Borrill, B & H Food Partnership. Brighton and Hove. Falls in the 25% most deprived LAs Health generally worse than the national average A quarter of all children live in low income households
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Creating a Sustainable Food System in Brighton and Hove Clare Devereux, Food Matters Vic Borrill, B & H Food Partnership
Brighton and Hove • Falls in the 25% most deprived LAs • Health generally worse than the national average • A quarter of all children live in low income households • Population is more likely than average to experience mental health problems • Wage level below the national average • 8 million visitors a year • 400 cafes and restaurants • Positioned between the sea and the downs • City Council owns 11,000 acres of farmland Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Putting food on the agenda • History of community food work • In 2003 mapping exercise to see what was happening – food shed • First ‘spade to spoon’ conference • Vision, aims and establishment of food partnership • Spade to spoon strategy • Service level agreement with the PCT • Harvest B & H • Strategic policy work Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Ingredients for success • PCT that recognised the wider determinants of health – supported development of FP/Strategy • ‘champions’ within local authority – elected member and officer(s) • Rooted in the community – residents and groups • Secure funding base from service level agreement • NGO organisation to offer expertise, support and facilitation • Lobbying for policy change to support food work – being a ‘thorn in the side’ • Isn’t enough to just deliver – need more root and branch policy Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
The Brighton & Hove model of a Food Partnership • BHFP not for profit / politically neutral. Company limited by guarantee • Remit – healthy and sustainable food • Driving forward delivery of the city’s food strategy • Combined role of influencing / lobbying, capacity building, supporting networking and service delivery • Broad membership base – 740 individuals and organisations • Board of directors elected from the membership / by the membership. Plus appointed members from key statutory services and Food Matters. • Funded via grants from NHS Brighton & Hove & BHCC, Big Lottery Local Food and various trusts. Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Delivering high quality services • Community Nutrition Service / Healthy Weight referral service • Community Cookery Project • Harvest Brighton & Hove • Love Food: Hate Waste Community outreach programme • Information - website, City Food News, events, stalls • Service delivery keeps us connected with residents and grounded in the issues of the city • Provides funding • Complexity can be challenging but reflects the reality of food work Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Linking themes and agendas Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Supporting partnership working • Provide networking opportunities • Knowledge hub • Targeting services • Replicating what works • Seek funding for partnership work eg Harvest Brighton & Hove • Size of Brighton & Hove makes this possible • Getting harder as services get squeezed Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Keeping food on the agenda locally • City wide partnerships • Responding to consultations • Political lobbying – Ask Your Candidate exercise prior to local elections • Championing community food projects • Fostering ‘champions’ within other organisations • Independent but work hard at productive relationships with partners • Work with all political parties • Careful balance between campaigning and sources of funding • Takes time • Willingness to be opportunistic Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Key issues • Need for strategic framework for food work locally • Can’t do it alone – need Government to also have strategic framework • Research agenda to support sustainable food work Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
Next steps – getting serious • Need to move into next phase – more focused action to achieve maximum gain • How to feed a city • Increase amount of sustainable food produced in the city • Opportunities • ‘green administration’ • City owned farms • Public procurement Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011
www.bhfood.org.uk www.foodmatters.org Thank you Sustainable Cities, Oct 2011