Daphne lays out the current, pretty dire, situation with respect to the UK's ability to feed itself, and then suggests some steps to help redeem the situation at the local community level
Last updated
00:00 - 42:00 Presentation
42:00 - 78:20 (end) Q & A
The team discussed the potential impacts of the devolution white paper and the abolition of district councils, with a focus on the role of town and parish councils in taking on more responsibilities. Daphne shared her experiences with the 'Right to Grow' initiative in Shropshire and emphasized the importance of food resilience and the need for a national food strategy in the UK. The meeting also covered the challenges of food system resilience, the potential of innovative farming techniques, and the importance of community support and cooperatives in sourcing food sustainably.
Daphne to share experiences from Shropshire's implementation of the Right to Grow initiative.
Joolz to share data, documents, plans and business planning related to their aeroponic growing project with Daphne.
Amanda to discuss offline with Daphne about Mid Counties Co-op's "Best of Counties" local supplier initiative.
Daphne to circulate information about the planned Resilience Conference in Shropshire (tentatively scheduled for September) as details take shape.
Sandra to explore the Y and Usk Foundation's work on river-friendly farming in Herefordshire as a model for Dorset.
Food partnerships to consider ways to provide value to farming clusters, such as offering training, inviting speakers, and providing organizational structure for funding bids.
Andrew to visit Bishop's Castle in the New Year.
All attendees to prepare for the January 8th discussion on how to help communities fund their climate action, in response to a government request.
Andrew to write up the conclusions from the January 8th discussion for submission to the government by January 13th.
Devolution White Paper and Councils
In the meeting, Daphne, Andrew, Jenny, Graham, Chris, and Joolz discussed the potential impacts of the devolution white paper and the abolition of district councils. They discussed how this might lead to town and parish councils taking on more responsibilities, such as waste collection and verge maintenance. Daphne shared her experiences from Shropshire, where they passed the 'Right to Grow' initiative in September 2022. The team also discussed the challenges faced by Shropshire Council, including staff culling and heating issues. The conversation ended with Daphne preparing to present on her experiences with the 'Right to Grow' initiative.
UK Food Resilience and Strategy
Daphne discussed the importance of food resilience and the need for a national food strategy in the UK. She highlighted the country's reliance on imported food, the decline in farming as a viable career, and the impact of climate change, war, and supply chain disruptions on food systems. Daphne also mentioned the Welsh Government's emergency food package and the need for joined-up policies considering food emissions. She emphasized the role of food partnerships in addressing these issues and suggested the potential for community farms or gardens to replace food banks. Daphne also mentioned the upcoming report on civil food resilience and the rebooting of a National food strategy by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Improving Food Security and Resilience
Daphne discussed the vulnerability of the UK's food system, highlighting the dominance of a few large companies in the production and distribution of food. She argued for a more decentralized and connected system to improve food security and resilience, particularly in times of crisis. Daphne also mentioned the need to strengthen local resilience forums and bring food into their remit, as they currently lack the capacity to address food-related issues. She referred to the work of Tim Lang, who is set to publish a report on civil food resilience through the National Preparedness Commission. Daphne emphasized the importance of prevention over cure in maintaining food security and reducing the gap between the most vulnerable and the rest of society.
National Risk Register and Food Security
Daphne discussed the National Risk Register, which identifies potential issues and their likelihood. She highlighted that food security is a significant concern, but it is not a priority at the government level. Daphne also mentioned the importance of community food assessments and the need for a food resilience strategy. She shared her experience running a market garden during the pandemic and the subsequent loss of interest in local produce. Daphne also mentioned the "right to grow" initiative in Shropshire, which aims to give people access to disused or underused land for growing fruit and vegetables. However, she noted that the initiative has faced resistance from the council. The conversation ended with Daphne expressing her intention to support community groups and provide training for councillors.
Decentralizing Food Systems for Resilience
Daphne discussed the challenges of food system resilience and the need for a decentralized, equally distributed system. She highlighted the importance of projects that promote food sharing, cooking, and growing, and the need for a range of skills to empower communities. Daphne also emphasized the importance of infrastructure, such as livestock markets and abattoirs, and the potential of dynamic procurement. She mentioned the Shropshire Good Food Trail and the Marches Real Food and Farming Partnership as examples of successful initiatives. Daphne also discussed the potential for collaboration between councils and food partnerships, and the development of a crisis mapping and response system. Lastly, she mentioned the formation of a unified voice for organizations working in climate, nature, recovery, and food systems.
Food Security and Local Production
Daphne discussed the importance of food security and the need for a shift in perspective towards food production and distribution. She emphasized the need for a more resilient food system, beyond the current silos, and suggested the creation of local food strategies. Daphne also highlighted the issue of food banks and the potential for alternative business models and direct sales. Tristram asked about the possibility of increasing domestic food production to 100% in case of an import crisis, to which Daphne responded that it would take time and effort to ramp up production and invest in UK horticulture. Councillor Stuart raised the issue of food preservation, suggesting the possibility of a community food processing unit. Daphne suggested a library of seasonal preservation methods and equipment, emphasizing the need for a variety of approaches to food security.
Community Engagement and Food Resilience
Daphne discussed the importance of engaging with the community at various levels, including through local organizations like the Wy, and the need for a wide range of skills and expertise. She also mentioned the potential for community initiatives and skill shares, and the existence of models and structures that can be replicated. Andrew expressed concerns about the government's plans to build on agricultural land and the need for local action. Chris emphasized the complexity of the food network and the need for a full debate on the issue. Daphne concluded by stating that their focus is on food resilience and they are working to build stronger relationships with farmers and find creative solutions for them to sell their produce.
Innovative Farming Techniques and Challenges
Daphne and Joolz discussed the potential of various innovative farming techniques, including aeroponic and hydroponic growing, and the use of thermal mass in greenhouses. Joolz shared her community's plans to repurpose old grain silos for renewable energy and aeroponic growing, and expressed interest in sharing more information. Daphne acknowledged the value of these innovations but also highlighted the challenges of cost and investment for community initiatives. The conversation ended with Joolz promising to share more details about her community's plans.
Co-OPs, Networking, and Sustainable Food
Amanda discussed the importance of networking and community support, particularly in the context of the Co-OP movement and the role of cooperatives in sourcing food sustainably. She mentioned her involvement with Mid Counties Co-OP and the "Best of Counties" initiative, which supports local suppliers. Daphne agreed on the importance of community empowerment through cooperatives and suggested that Co-OPs could play a significant role in linking up local growers to feed into their operations. She also mentioned a forthcoming Resilience Conference in Shropshire. Sandra shared her involvement with the Dorset Climate Action Network and the Feeding Dorset partnership, and expressed interest in learning more about dynamic procurement. The group also discussed the challenges of procurement in schools and the need for a value change towards resilience.
00:17:52 amanda davis: Adding my questions here as I may not be able to stay the duration:
00:30:49 amanda davis: Do you see food resilience and policy at the a. national level b. commercial level c. protected landscapes d. counties e. district councils f. parish council g. communities for themselves h. poss same as g but individuals growing and trading, probably via allotments AND is it for a temporary emergency bridging or is it for the long term? As a director of Midcounties Coop, we have a twin obligation: 1. to be a responsible retailer of food AND 2. to deliver to the communities of our members. With fairtrade, Best of Counties buying from locals, animal welfare standards (not buying chicken from abroad, for eg) As a member of the Cotswolds National Landscape Board, our net zero by 2050 action planning found that the second higher contributor to ghg emission was food & drink so this may be an important factor to consider too. Then the perceived (is it real?) loss of productive agricultural land to solar farms. A "dump" of my thoughts & questions
00:31:16 amanda davis: Will be watching this develop with keen interest. Final nugget: Do you know FarmEd in west oxfordshire? It seems to be in this space too, especially seed supply and other resilience management 0:39:24 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: You can download “In case of crisis or war” from here: https://www.msb.se/sv/publikationer/om-krisen-eller-kriget-kommer-pa-engelska/
00:39:53 Sandra Reeve: Where can one find the right to grow application documents please?
00:40:32 amanda davis: "Shropshire council"? is that county level?
00:40:34 Andrew Maliphant: Government has published a community energy plan template, which is not always circulated to local level by local authorities: community_emergency_plan_template.doc
00:41:45 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: “Right to Grow” links: https://www.incredibleedible.org.uk/what-we-do/right-to-grow/
00:41:51 Andrew Maliphant: Sorry, community emergency plan! !!@@!"£&&! predictive text!
00:43:17 Judith Robinson: In a town in Germany, the council uses their land to grow apple trees. Each autumn, people can make a bid for the apples on each tree, say 1 Euro, and are able to use all the apples on the trees for which they have won the bid.
00:46:00 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Highly recommend “From What If to What Is” by Rob Hopkins to show how ‘Transition Towns’ are helping to address some of the very real issues that Daphne is raising here…….
00:46:16 amanda davis: Our parish community orchard was largely seen as costing money and a green space. Now, starting small, we are engaging local community and IT'S community orchard with a wassail event in January. This is NOT a typical event in my village
00:53:58 Andrew Maliphant: In answer to the question of how we put this issue in perspective for everyone, the Maslow human needs hierarchy (1943) has food as one of the most basic needs
00:58:00 Andrew Maliphant: I'm told Government use to stockpile some food during the cold war, but no more - just relying on the supermarket chains
01:00:15 David Morgan-Jones: Thank you for an excellent presentation. This strikes me as an excellent start point to make a hard hitting film that exposes the UK's ability to survive after a major crises ?
01:02:41 amanda davis: Just set this up, in Sept 2024: BOURTON SUSTAINABILITY NETWORK BourtonSnetwork@gmail.com A group of residents from Bourton & surrounding hamlets & farms are forming a network of people interested in: · protecting & improving the local environment · promoting a more sustainable lifestyle · connecting likeminded people This is not a group that has rules, committees and paperwork, unnecessarily slowed by bureaucracy & red tape. And we aim to have fun!
01:04:15 amanda davis: We are excited to have had contact from Bourton people interested in: ·Blue spaces ie rivers, citizen science water quality testing, flood prevention & management etc ·Allotments, gardeners, orchards, nature recovery, regenerative & other farming practices, beekeeping, harvesting, making juice, foraging, composting, swift boxes, beelines etc We are interested in identifying people with a very wide range of skills & expertise in our respective communities, & would like to encourage people to come forward with interest or skills in: ·Community energy, solar & battery storage, turbines, heat pumps, insulation & retrofit, greywater, rainwater harvesting etc ·Car sharing, EV charging, car clubs, public & community transport including the Robin, active travel etc ·Planning, biodiversity net gain, neighbourhood plans, carbon literacy, greenhouse gases net zero, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle“ etc
01:04:24 amanda davis: Please email BourtonSnetwork@gmail.com for more information, indicating what issues interest and excite you, which you have knowledge & skills in, any questions or comments you might have. No commitment at all :)
01:04:59 amanda davis: Sorry for the longhand but we only have this as a word file so no link to have posted that to
01:12:21 Andrew Maliphant: I have a channel into DEFRA which might help
01:13:45 Jenny Barna: Major slug problems now
01:19:55 Myriam Raso: Thank you so much for all the information you shared today!
01:21:34 Chris McFarling: Thank you so much for the wake up call.
01:29:56 amanda davis: Personally, I think resilience in all of life needs a value change away from "more for less"
01:31:01 Sandra Reeve: Thank you very much and wishing you all a good Christmas and a Happy New Year!
01:31:18 amanda davis: Happy Winter Solstice!
Tim Lang’s Food Thinker’s Series - Civil Food Resilience (video)
Tim Lang on UK food system preparedness for shocks (coming in the future: Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 11:00am–12:00pm): (worth checking the link for a ton of other useful stuff as well!)
Food Ladders, by Megan Blake: (video)
Nourishing Britain - A political Manual for improving the Nation’s Health. H. Dimbleby:
Sustainable Food Places Evidence of Impact:
