A Manifesto for Sustainable Food for All

As the West of England prepares to elect a new mayor this May, a coalition of good food organisations in Bristol has launched a powerful and practical manifesto, calling on candidates to commit to building a better food system for the region. The Manifesto for Sustainable Food for All, developed by Bristol Food Producers, Feeding Bristol, and Bristol Food Network, sets out a compelling vision for how regional governance can support a fairer, greener, and healthier food system.

A Local Manifesto with National Relevance

Though rooted in the West of England context, this manifesto is far more than a local campaign. It demonstrates a replicable approach to influencing regional policy, one that other food partnerships can adapt to their own local political and geographical realities.

With more Combined Authority mayoral elections on the horizon—and local authorities increasingly taking an interest in food system change—this kind of strategic, place-based advocacy offers a powerful route to systemic impact.

Five Strategic Asks for a Better Food System

The manifesto outlines five clear, actionable asks for the incoming WECA Mayor:

1. A Strategic Review of Food Access
   Integrating food access into spatial planning — a replicable first step for any region looking to make healthy, sustainable food a priority in housing, transport and land use decisions.
2. A Regional Food Distribution Hub
   By exploring alternatives to closing Bristol’s historic wholesale market, the manifesto highlights the need for infrastructure that supports local producers — an idea that resonates with rural and urban regions alike.
3. Simplified Access to Funding
   Making it easier for grassroots food initiatives to access funding, particularly those working to address health inequality and climate change, is something every local authority can back.
4. A Regional Food Plan
   A call to co-create a Regional Food Plan through collaboration with civil society and business. This aligns perfectly with the place-based partnership approach championed by Sustainable Food Places.
5. Support for Sustainable Food Careers
   Training, business support and clearer entry routes into food growing and local food enterprise are essential across the UK, especially to address rural employment and urban green job aspirations.

Why This Approach Matters

As candidates for the West of England mayoralty consider their pledges, this manifesto calls on them to embrace food as a tool for transformation in the region. But its impact could go much further.

This kind of food systems thinking can—and should—be embedded into regional policy-making across the UK. Across the country there are opportunities to influence combined authorities and local councils to put food on the agenda.

The manifesto provides a practical blueprint for other food partnerships looking to engage policymakers and candidates in the run-up to local and regional elections. Its asks are both ambitious and achievable—rooted in evidence, guided by equity, and shaped by the realities of those working at the frontlines of the food system.

What sets this manifesto apart is not just the clarity of its demands, but also the process by which it was developed: locally driven, regionally focused, and backed by a broad coalition of food actors.

Lessons for the Wider Movement

This manifesto offers several important takeaways for other food partnerships:

• Strategic timing: Tying the launch to an election creates clear opportunities to influence candidates and policy platforms.
• Collaborative development: Bringing together diverse voices (including producers, charities, and networks) ensures the manifesto is credible, inclusive, and action-focused.
• Alignment with broader goals: By framing food as central to health, economic development, climate action, and social justice, the manifesto speaks the language of policymakers.

A Call to Replicate and Adapt

At Sustainable Food Places, we see this as an important piece of regional food advocacy. We encourage other partnerships across our network to read, share, and be inspired by this manifesto in their own context—whether to influence an upcoming election, kickstart a regional conversation, or strengthen an existing strategy.

Read the full manifesto: Manifesto for Sustainable Food for All – Bristol Good Food

Inspired to act? We’d love to hear from partnerships developing similar manifestos or regional policy work. Get in touch and share your story.

Together, we can put food at the heart of local and regional transformation—and build a food system that works for everyone.