Agenda item

The Vice-Chair introduced the report in which the government commissioned National Food Strategy Part 2 contains a recommendation to obligate all councils to have a local food partnership or strategy.

            Charlotte invited Tom Andrews, Soil Association and Ben Reynolds, Sustain, who would be presenting sustainable food places, which was the largest network local food partnerships in the UK.

Ben highlighted six key issues which were as followed:

·       Food governance and strategy

·       Good food movement

·       Healthy food for all

·       Sustainable food economy

·       Catering and procurement

·       Food for the plant

Ben then went on to explain how these would work in local authorities which were as followed:

·       Establish a cross-sector food partnership involving local authority and public sector bodies, third sector organisations, businesses and academic institutions.

·       Develop a vision, strategy and action plan for making healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live.

·       Work together to realise that vision through concerted and coordinated action across a wide range of food issues.

Ben said that over the last 20 years 69 partnerships had been set up, with the biggest growth happening in the last 5 years. Tom added that in the last 12 months, 25 partnerships had been established.

Tom explained that within the NFS there was a recommendation for each local authority to have an integrated food strategy. But, without a food partnership in place they felt that this would not work, as they were fundamental to food system change and brought together cross-sector partners to develop and deliver change.

Following the brief discussion, Members made the comments:

·       Members commented how would local authorities connect through schools, particularly academies as they were spread across country which made it increasingly difficult to deliver outcomes addressed by food partnerships. Ben replied that a joint approach to calling for changes nationally and also caterers understanding the needs locally would address changes needed in both schools and academies.

·       Members asked whether there were any examples of how planning issues were addressed with food partnerships and if there were any issues promoting food partnerships. Ben replied that they worked with a planner who provided support and advice for partnerships on how to engage with the planning system on food.

·       Sugar tax incentivised companies to reduce amount of sugar in their food and drinks, with the money raised going back to public health teams to do work on childhood obesity. But this was shortly ended by the Treasury. Ben responded that public health along with many national organisations wanted to work on sugar, but a lot of demand and action on sugar came from local authorities through food partnerships.

·       Given that the public health grant was cut, central government need to do more to fund health care and prevention work in local government.

Charlotte concluded that the LGA were looking to showcase and demonstrate examples of work that councils were doing.

The Vice-Chair thanked Ben and Tom for attending the meeting to share their insightful presentation.

The Vice-Chair informed the board that item 5 would be taken next.

Direction:

Members of the Board noted the report.