Health and wellbeing
Walsall joins national network for local food system change
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Walsall has been successful in its application to become a member of Sustainable Food Places, a UK-wide network of boroughs, towns and cities working together to make sure everyone can access and enjoy good, healthy food choices.
This milestone supports the borough’s long-term ambition set out in Feeding Walsall’s Future: The Food Plan 2025–2030. The plan sets out a vision for the longer term for a fair food environment where good food is grown, accessible and promoted for residents to have nutritious, affordable and appealing food choices.
To become a member, areas must demonstrate strong partnership working and a clear commitment to improving their local food system. In Walsall, this is led by the Walsall Food Partnership, which brings together public, private and voluntary and community sector organisations/ groups from across the borough.
Feeding Walsall’s Future has been described as a powerful initiative, with the national Sustainable Food Partnership keen to see it shared more broadly across the network. It highlights the strength of a system-wide approach, with activity across all sectors expected to make a significant difference, as the plan is implemented.
Work is focused on approaches to improving access to good, affordable food, creating a better local food environment, supporting responsible food practices, and strengthening local procurement and supply chains.
This includes supporting local food businesses and producers, reducing food waste, and encouraging small, practical changes that can improve health and food security.
Walsall’s Food Partnership is central to delivering this vision, through taking action linked to four priorities and 38 commitments. By working together, partners are helping to improve access to food and reduce inequalities, support community food initiatives and growing projects, promote healthier food choices and build a more resilient local food system.
Joining the Sustainable Food Places national network recognises the strong partnership working already in place across Walsall, bringing together organisations, communities and businesses to take collective action.
“ Joining the Sustainable Food Places network is an important step for Walsall and reflects the progress already being made through the implementation of the local Food Plan.
We want to ensure that all residents can access good and healthy food that is affordable and part of everyday life. At the same time, we want to support local businesses, strengthen our local economy and make the most of what Walsall has to offer.
This is about practical action by supporting residents, reducing waste and keeping the Walsall pound in Walsall while improving health and wellbeing across our communities. “
“ This is a proud moment for Walsall and recognition of the strong partnerships we’ve built across the borough.
Our work is rooted in real life by helping people access good food, supporting communities to grow and cook, and working with local organisations to make healthier and more sustainable choices easier for everyone.
By working together, we can create a food system that improves health, supports the environment and strengthens our local economy for the long term. “
Established in 2013, Sustainable Food Places is a dynamic network of cross-sector partnerships in towns, cities, boroughs and counties that are transforming places across the UK through thriving local food systems.
With support from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the network helps people and places to connect, amplify and accelerate work to improve the health and sustainability of the food we grow, cook and eat. Walsall is amongst the latest to join the network of 128 Sustainable Food Places across the four nations of the UK.
“ We are delighted that Walsall has joined our UK-wide Network of 128 places that are building integrated, long-lasting approaches to improving their local food system for everyone. Sustainable Food Places members know that by acting on food we can improve health, local resilience, community wellbeing and local wealth creation. The Walsall Food Partnership is showing what this looks like for the borough, and we are excited to collaborate with and learn from them as we grow together. “
Sustainable Food Places is a partnership programme run by the Soil Association, Food Matters, Sustain, Nourish Scotland, and Food Sense Wales. It is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
The Sustainable Food Places programme works across six key areas:
- Promoting healthy and sustainable food to the public
- Tackling food poverty, diet-related ill health and access to affordable healthy food
- Building community food knowledge, skills, resources and projects
- Promoting a vibrant and diverse sustainable food economy
- Transforming catering and food procurement
- Reducing waste and the ecological footprint of the food system
For more information about Sustainable Food Places visit: Home | Sustainable Food Places
