Local Food Coalitions
Overview/Emerging Trend
The term Local Food Coalition can be defined as groups of organisations, from the voluntary, statutory and private sectors working together towards a common goal, which generally revolves around the creation of a local sustainable food system.
The coalitions have formed due to an understanding that, in order to make progress, communication and partnership working is key. As a result, coalitions often contain an eclectic mix - from local authorities to market stall holders, from farmers to schools, from allotment associations to private landlords.
No two coalitions are alike. The way they develop and progress, and the groups and organisations involved, are dictated by local circumstances. For example, some may be more influenced by wider environmental concerns, some may have organic growing or permaculture as a key element, while for others health or education could be given more emphasis.
Development depends very much on groups and organisations already in existence, the willingness of local authorities and private bodies to take part and what community groups and networks are already in place.
There are, however, some themes common to many Local Food Coalitions, including:
1. Engaging local people to take action and become involved, thereby creating a sense of place and belonging.
2. Promoting the benefits of local food growing
3. Campaigning, for more land to be made available for cultivation
4. Networking with like minded groups to increase skills, opportunities and encourage good practice.
5. Removing obstacles to local action by working with statutory bodies and the private sector.
Local Food Coalitions tend to cover a wider area than smaller community initiatives, and have become prominent in large towns and smaller cities. For example, the Incredible Edible movement has become particularly popular in Northern England (especially the Yorkshire and Humberside region) and now includes places such as Todmorden, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Ramsbottom, Doncaster North, Macclesfield and Rossendale.
Examples
Harvest Brighton & Hove
This coalition, including the local council and Brighton & Hove Food Partnership is driven by the vision of a localised, sustainable food system which is available and accessible equally to all local residents. This includes growing food in spaces such as public parks, areas of empty land around housing estates and container gardening on balconies. In addition, the coalition aims to ensure a proper infrastructure exists to support shops, markets and stalls can sell local produce at affordable prices. Education is also important, in order to ensure that local residents have the knowledge, skills and confidence to grow and prepare fresh, nutritious food.
Incredible Edible Todmorden
This coalition has had huge success and spawned many similar schemes in Northern England. Concerned about sustainability issues and a desire to make the town of Todmorden more self-sufficient in food production, IET began with several small community gardens and a seed exchange. It has now blossomed into a much larger scheme, planting two orchards, liaising with public bodies to use their land - such as the fire and railway stations, and a local social landlord. In addition, IET has initiateda scheme encouraging the production and consumption of local eggs and has managed to get every school in the town involved in growing food.
Grow Sheffield
Grow Sheffield is an active network of individuals and groups promoting urban organic food growing. Started in 2007, the aim of Grow Sheffield was to draw people together to share knowledge, best practice on urban food and to ensure that the importance of urban food and a supporting culture is recognised as part of a sustainable city. The group hopes to stimulate and inspire communities to grow food; promote the benefits of local organic food growing, raise awareness of wider sustainability issues and encourage increased access to more land by influencing decision makers to change policy. Grow Sheffield works with a number of local groups, such as Transition Sheffield and Heeley City Farm, as well as the city council and private sector organisations.
More information
The concept of Local Food Coalitions is relatively new in the UK (the term itself is still more widely used in the USA) and each coalition is very individual, due to local circumstances. As a result, there is currently no central source of information (though more information will be added here in due course). The best sources of inspiration and knowledge currently are the websites of the Incredible Edible coalitions. Several of these are listed below:
Incredible Edible Huddersfield: www.incredibleediblehuddersfield.org/
Incredible Edible Wakefield: www.incredible-edible-wakefield.co.uk/
Incredible Edible Ramsbottom: www.incredible-edible-ramsbottom.co.uk/
