Greater Brighton To Develop Affordable And Sustainable Food Plan

Monday, 8 August 2022 06:00

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

A plan to examine ways to supply affordable and healthy food, cut waste and grow more locally is being developed by the Greater Brighton City Region.

With prices soaring and access to imports interrupted Greater Brighton believes a new strategy is needed to tackle a growing crisis as well as promoting environmentally sustainable ways of producing food.

Around 25 to 30 per cent of food produced globally is lost or wasted, while food and farming systems account for one third of global gas emissions and up to 80% of biodiversity loss.

A report to the Greater Brighton Economic Board also pointed out that the United Nations had calculated that the world needed to reduce meat consumption by 30 per cent, food high in fat, salt and sugar by 25 per cent while increasing fruit and vegetables by 30 per cent and fibre intake by 50 per cent.

This was needed to meet health, climate and nature commitments.

The report reviewed existing food policy and partnerships in the city region and the findings will form the basis of a Greater Brighton Food Plan.

Greater Brighton

The next phase of work which will focus on:

Identifying how partners can co-ordinate action and progress
Bringing together food policies and metrics in the Greater Brighton region
Identfying budgets and creating investment plans
Collaborating with businesses, education and food partnerships to support food system transformation
Sharing partner updates on food system innovations they are putting into practice.

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Chair of the Greater Brighton Economic Board, said:

"Council and business leaders across the sub region have agreed to focus on delivering a fairer food system for all.

"Our relationship with food has been put under more strain and scrutiny recently.

"Together we are committed to finding practical solutions to producing, supplying, and using food which reduces toxic emissions and waste, which will in turn help us play our part for the environment."

The Greater Brighton Economic Board has made 10 pledges to help tackle the climate crisis, known as the GB10 pledges. The commitments cover topics from restoring kelp beds to renaturing to retrofitting homes with carbon reducing energy sources.