The Sustainable Food Places (SFP) programme has become a cornerstone of the UK’s sustainable food movement. This final evaluation of Phase 3 (2019–2024) highlights how SFP has supported over 110 local food partnerships to tackle critical challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, and public health. With more than £2 million in funding unlocked and a flexible framework for action, SFP has driven systemic change—empowering partnerships to influence local policy, improve food access, and build community resilience. Explore how SFP and its network of partnerships are redefining the future of food in the UK.
Despite some tremendous national and global challenges, the last five years have seen the Sustainable Food Places network of food partnerships go from strength to strength. Now with more than 100 members covering over 30% of all local authority areas in the UK, local food partnerships are quickly becoming the new norm in efforts to transform food and farming. The Sustainable Food Places programme is the glue that brings this movement together, amplifying its collective voice and scaling its impact. Through our work we have enabled food partnerships to grow and prosper, mobilising action and innovation across the food system, putting communities at the heart of a good food movement, and driving long-term change towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. In this report, we proudly present the work we have done to achieve this.
Local food partnerships have become an increasingly widespread feature in localities across the UK. The Sustainable Food Places Network now has over 100 local food partnership members, and a wider number of newly formed partnerships are seeking to join the network. These partnerships are hosted by, or share close links with, local government bodies and are often closely aligned in their priorities.
Sustainable Food Places (SFP) supports local food partnerships to harness the diverse energies of the public, voluntary and business sectors along with citizens for a joined-up approach on food issues. This research shows that these food issues are often siloed. SFP champions the need for a coordinated, systems approach. Local food partnerships are now widespread across the UK with strongest representation in areas with high multiple deprivation. Food partnerships are playing a key role in driving the transition from traditional food poverty approaches such as food banks to long-term, sustainable, and empowering models.
In the UK, a wide range of knowledge and evidence supports the development of food policy. And yet the relationships between knowledge, research, evidence, and policy are only partially understood.
The term, ‘knowledge-policy interfaces,’ describes the power-laden processes, spaces, and structures of knowledge exchange amongst policy actors, including but not limited to academic researchers, policymakers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and industry.
But how do these interfaces operate? How do different organisations navigate them? And ultimately, how can we best use different forms of knowledge and evidence for food policy change?
This new report examines how Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) approach and navigate knowledge-policy interfaces in the context of UK food policy. Specifically, it examines how different types of CSOs produce and use evidence, build and maintain relationships, and mobilise narratives to leverage food policy change.
Areas of Wales with a preexisting Sustainable Food Places (SFP) food partnership, when compared to areas without, have been able to better co-ordinate the £2.5 million Welsh government food poverty fund. As a result of their progressed partnership development, SFP members have been able to immediately put that money to work addressing the root causes of food poverty. This research shows that SFP members are well equipped to quickly, proactively and effectively coordinate government funding.
We are pleased to share with you this University West of England report showcasing the value and achievements of Local Food Partnerships as they pivoted to respond to a period of national crisis. With a range of case studies from our vibrant network, this report highlights how our members stepped up to play a vital role in the food crisis relief effort, and continue to fill the leadership gap on local food issues in the post pandemic environment.
Phase 2 Evaluation Report from the University of the West of England (May 2019)
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