Local Food Policy briefing: What can national government do to grow the local food sector?

From planning policy to entrepreneurship stimulation, Sustian outlines how national government can strenghten local food systems to unlock a host of economic, resilience and placemaking benefits.

Following the publication of the Local Food Growth Plan earlier this year, Sustain has submitted a briefing to the Defra Food Strategy unit outlining key asks to strengthen and grow the local food sector.

The briefing is based on a programme of consultation with over 500 local food system actors over two years, which culminated in the Local Food Growth Plan.

It covers what government can do to increase the supply of local, sustainable food, ensure accessibility across regions and facilitate the demand for local food. It includes relevant asks already being made by other campaigns and Alliance members, such as those for horticulture strategy and Food Partnerships in every area, as well as asks that are more specific to local food supply and demand. All are necessary for growing local food systems.

Key areas include (full list in the briefing):

• Research and funding for local food infrastructure that will better enable routes to local markets for farmers
• A refreshed National Planning Policy Framework that gives statutory duties, guidance and powers for Local Planning Authorities to strengthen local food
• Duties and resources for every region to develop their own Local Food Growth Plan
• Grants, investment, tax relief and other support for local food SMEs to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation.
• A national pilot for prescriptions of fresh, locally-sourced produce
• Support for national and regional public engagement efforts around local food.

The briefing also lays out a summary of evidenced benefits of local food to our economies, food security and to placemaking. The small but mighty local food sector that exists across the UK has enormous potential to strengthen our resilience as a nation and improve our quality of life. Yet given the current dominant power of industrial and corporate food system, it faces significant barriers to scaling up and out.

Overcoming these barriers will require action from a combination of actors including the local food sector itself, Food Partnerships, academics, private investors and local authorities, but national government also has to play a significant role in making these changes happen.

With strategic intervention from governments and strong collaboration across the sector, we believe it’s possible for the UK to have a thriving local food sector that delivers significant resilience and quality of life benefits for our citizens.