Sheffield Food Festival is a time to not only enjoy a huge variety of food, but to reflect on how we can all work together to improve the food system in Sheffield and beyond.
The food we rely upon every day is a product of a complex, interdependent and globalised supply chain dominated by relatively few multinational corporations. They maintain this unsustainable system by exploiting a monopoly of money and power to influence governments, damage the environment and maximise profits out of producers and consumers. The evidence shows this unsustainable system contributes to (and is vulnerable to) the impacts of climate change, depletion of resources such as oil, phosphorus, soil and water, pressures of population growth and geo-political instability such as austerity and post-Brexit uncertainty. As a consequence, the UK and Sheffield food system is impacted in a range of ways.
Food Sovereignty
The UK currently produces less than 60% of the food we consume and relies on the EU for nearly 30% of food imports. The UK currently holds only 3-5 days of food supplies in reserve.
Food Waste
It is estimated that UK households waste seven million tonnes of food and drink each year, costing an annual average £470 per household. Most of this waste could be avoided.
Health Inequality and Food
Access to healthy food is a key factor determining the extent of health inequality across different parts of Sheffield, with life expectancy gaps and adult obesity rates amongst the highest in
England.
Poverty and Food
Over the past five years, many food banks have opened in Sheffield, with benefit delays, low income and benefit changes being the most common reasons for accessing food bank services.
Developing a sustainable food system for Sheffield is a huge challenge. But thankfully – true to their character – the people of Sheffield are still rising to this challenge. Since the mid-1980s there have been progressive food plans, strategies and policies developed on an understanding that local government, the NHS, universities, businesses and Sheffield communities must all work together in partnership to create the lasting change needed. This important work continues – today and into the future.
A renewed energy and enthusiasm is present in Sheffield communities where decades of amazing local food work continues to blossom. A major challenge ahead is to turn post-Brexit price increases, farm labour shortages and market volatility into opportunities for the community economic development of urban and peri-urban horticultural enterprise – intensively grown organic fruit and vegetables, developing skills and community resources, creating local employment and promoting sustainable local economies.
There is the shared vision and strategic commitment to develop the environmental and economic benefits of a more resilient and sustainable food system for the Sheffield City Region. So – could the next planned step be to demand the regional devolution of a post-Brexit agricultural policy? A policy which could be developed and resourced to support environmentally, socially and economically resilient mixed farming systems and land-based industries – creating a truly productive landscape for Sheffield.
