Bristol’s Good Food Action Plan 2015-2018: Overview

Why do we need an action plan?
The system for providing food to human communities in England operates in such a way that control rests, in effect, with ‘the market’, whose legally enshrined aim is economic growth. This means that a dominant force is the production of food at low prices, and externalisation of costs or harms. If we are to ensure that at the same time we achieve the system aims set out in the Who Feeds Bristol report and the 2013 Good Food Plan for Bristol then we need coordinated effort within civic society, businesses, and institutions, involving a wide range of people in and around Bristol, working towards measurable, shared outcomes and changes. This Action Plan, compiled with input from a wide range of participants, presents a shared plan of how we will work towards achieving our vision over the next 2 to 3 years. In companion with this document the FPC has also prepared a Baseline Report summarising available data relating to the eight system change objectives. Many of these data are indirect, and inexact, and few are regularly collected. The purpose of the Baseline Report is to help the FPC with the task of selecting some key outcome measures that it can start to monitor year on year to document progress, and to highlight gaps in progress.

The purpose of this plan is to help coordinate, support and inspire the work of many players, and to make the system aims and actions more open and transparent. Many of the actions are already begun, and all are on track to happen within by 2018. This Action Plan also forms part of our Sustainable Food Cities award application. The actions in this plan are evolving constantly and the document will always reflect work in progress. It will need to be updated regularly as events move forwards.

How has this action plan been compiled
The 2013 Good Food Plan described eight system change objectives. Building on this approach and using the output from several engagement events, and from the Green Capital Food Action Group, ten themes have emerged, grouped under three key headings. These ten themes form the framework for this Action Plan. Under each theme some desired outcomes have been identified, and a list of actions has been included. Predominantly these are actions that are already taking place or are being considered. The information supplied to us during the preparation of the Action Plan includes considerable detail on many projects, and this has been compiled into a companion document ‘Bristol’s Good Food Action Plan 2015–18; Detailed plans’. The Action Plan reveals that the numerous existing projects are part of a considerable movement in Bristol toward a more sustainable food system. It also demonstrates some of the gaps and barriers, and potential opportunities to pool resources, to share experiences and to work together. Numerous individuals, organisations and networks have contributed to this plan.

The ten themes used in this Action Plan are listed below, under the three key headings. The headings and themes are summarised in in a diagram in Appendix 1.

Please go here to download the full overview document and to continue reading.

Bristol’s Good Food Action Plan 2015–18: Detailed plans

Information for this detailed plan was collected during March–June 2015. Most of the information was written by the people/organisations adding their plans to the Good Food Plan for Bristol. These contributors were issued with a blank template form that included two sample ‘model’ entries. Some information was obtained by interview and has subsequently been checked by the interviewees. Some information was obtained through themed meetings on Food Waste/Wasted Food and Land and Planning.

All entries relating to Bristol City Council’s work were updated by Bristol City Council in December 2015. This is noted on the individual entries concerned.

Please go here to access the detailed document and to continue reading.