Cornwall has won a prestigious Sustainable Food Places award.
The award recognises Sustainable Food Cornwall’s work to promote healthy, sustainable and local food and to tackle some of today’s greatest social challenges; from food poverty and diet-related ill-health to the disappearance of family farms and the loss of independent food retailers.
The Sustainable Food Places Award is a national, evidence-based recognition and celebration of places taking a joined-up, holistic approach to sustainable and healthy food. Awardees have demonstrated activity and impact across their food system by the food partnership and their stakeholders to create a local ‘Good Food Movement’. This is recognition of the excellent work of the food partnership and of stakeholders across the area.
Sustainable Food Cornwall is a partnership working to transform Cornwall’s food system so that everyone has access to healthy, affordable food produced in ways that support nature, local communities, and the regional economy. It brings together farmers, fishers, food businesses, community groups, health professionals, and policymakers to promote fair local food procurement, regenerative farming, sustainable fishing, reduced waste, and stronger community food culture. Through projects such as community growing support, school food improvement, and systems-level strategy work, SFC aims to build a resilient, low-carbon, nature-friendly food system while strengthening local livelihoods and increasing food equity across Cornwall.
Dr Eunan O’Neill, Director of Public Health for Cornwall, said:
“We are really proud of everyone involved in achieving Cornwall’s Sustainable Food Places Silver Award. Winning the Silver Award is a significant and welcome achievement for the local food partnership. We look forward to building on this success working across our amazing food system and I’m excited to see what we will accomplish next.”
Leon Ballin, the Sustainable Food Places Programme Manager, said:
“Sustainable Food Cornwall has shown just what can be achieved when creative and committed people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live. While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, Sustainable Food Cornwall has helped to set a benchmark for the other 120+ members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow. They should be very proud of the work that they have been doing to transform our collective food culture and food system for the better.”