Wealden Food Partnership is a collective of over 115 members and stakeholders ‘Working together for a better, greener and more equal food system for the communities of Wealden.’
Working together since 2022 in an area of East Sussex that contains over 1,000 farners and 70% of people living rurally, the Food Partnership's main goals include:
Advoacting to improve better local infrastructure and routes to market for farmers, growers and producers across the region. This includes developing Buyer and Supplier opportunities, working with local abattoirs and livestock markets and advocating for the farming community with key stakeholders such as local government.
Working to address food poverty and inequality through working with and supporting local foodbanks, community fridges and other organisations through establshing a Support Through Food Network.
The Food Partnership has an Advisory Group that consists of 13 members, guiding the work plan and priorities and working towards Wealden Food Partnership becoming an independent organisation by 2026. Members include farmers, local councillors, foodbanks, Public Health, community chefs, local chairities working to support communities through food, a Green Tranistion Town and the High Weald National Landscape Partnership.
Since October 2022 Wealden Food Partnership has delivered and been involved in the following projects and campaigns:
Delivering Household Support Fund grants programmes to those groups and organisations supporting people living in food poverty. Analysis of the grants scheme shows that over 7000 people have been supported each year over a two year period.
Delivering Good Food East Sussex month in partnership with other East Sussex Food Partnerships and Food Matters including an event in partnership with a community owned farm delivering educational workshops and talks.
Establishing a Twinning programme between farms and schools/community groups and care homes across the region. This idea came directly from farmers and has attracted wider partnership working with Brighton & Hove Food Partnership and funding from Farming The Future.
Campaiging with Feeding Britain and East Sussex Food Partnerships to call for a continuation of the Household Support Fund to support people living in food poverty.
Delivering 'Connecting Local Buyers & Suppliers' events and a Directory in response to farmers, growers and producers' challenges in advocating for better local routes to market Resources - Good Food East Sussex
Establishing a Farmers Forum/Network to support and advocate for farming and food production to be heard in the Local Plan consultation process, the development of the Local Nature Nature Recovery Strategies, Climate Change Strategies, the development of Biodiversity Net Gain and rural grants processes and consultations.
Establishing a Farmers Advisory Group with Plumpton Agricultural College to inform cirriculum development to support the college in creating wider opportunities for students and opportunities for farmers to share their expertise across a range of farming methods and practices.
Establishing a Support Through Food Network for Wealden to map who is doing what to better advocate for targeted support from the local authroity and other agencies, and to support those delivering against the emergency food provision agenda to explore different models of delivery such as Community Supermarkets and Food Clubs, supporting the dignity in food charter.
Advocating for and championing the Food Partnership through holding places on key strategic partnerships including the Healthy Weight Partnership and Wealden Strategic Partnership.
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