Challenges & Opportunities in the Local Food Chain

Febuary 2016

Sustainable Food Cities Network helps people and places share challenges, explore practical solutions and develop best practice on key food issues. Carlisle were one of the founding members of the Sustainable Food City Network and the Carlisle Food City Action Plan is the product of input from an exceptionally wide range of organisations and individuals; exceptional in that the focus on food has brought into partnership people and organisations who have not worked together before. It marked the start of Carlisle’s journey towards its vision of becoming the most sustainable Food City in the Region, and a beacon of good practice nationally inspiring others to replicate our work - particularly smaller cities, towns and counties.

"We believe in working with our food producers and distributors, and with all local food outlets, to make Carlisle a recognised, high quality Food City. We want to create a City where good food flourishes and where we work in partnership to empower change towards a vibrant and inclusive food culture. We want every setting - school, nursery, college, hospital, care home, cafe, restaurant and workplace - to serve healthy, sustainable, delicious food. We want to start a local food revolution and share learning to assist other places to recognise the value of working in this way."

The Carlisle Food City journey started in late 2012, with a large stakeholder event in 2013. From this a Food Charter was developed which identified 5 aims:

1. A Thriving local economy

2. Health and wellbeing for all

3. Environmental Sustainability

4. Lifelong learning, education and skills

5. Building stronger, closer communities

The Carlisle Food Partnership is advancing a number of projects around this work. One of which is research into the viability and sustainability of the local food supply chain, which was the catalyst for this research.

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