UK local food initiatives

Organisations & programs

Allotments regeneration initiative
http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/

Campaign to protect rural England
http://www.cpre.org.uk/home

DEFRA Public sector food procurement initiative
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/

DEFRA Sustainable farming and food strategy
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/index.htm

Eat the view (2000-2006 archive)
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/archive/ETV/index.asp

Farmers Weekly food miles
http://www.fwi.co.uk/gr/foodmiles/index.html

Federation of city farms and community gardens
http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/

Food deserts
http://www.fooddeserts.org/

Food vision
http://www.foodvision.gov.uk/

Local food.org
http://www.localfood.org.uk/

Local food works
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/localfoodworks_index.htm

Making local food work
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/

National farmers retail and markets association
http://www.farma.org.uk/

National society of allotments
http://www.nsalg.org.uk/#

Policy Commission on the future of farming and food
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/policycom.htm

School food matters
http://www.schoolfoodmatters.co.uk/

Soil Association
http://www.soilassociation.org/

Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming
http://www.sustainweb.org/

Year of food and farming.
http://www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk/

Publications

Action for market towns 2005. Market towns local foodcheck handbook
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/Foodcheck%20Handbook_tcm2-27738.pdf

Allotments and biodiversity: Gardening in harmony with nature. 2005
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8EB1E19B-2314-476B-82AF-9CA0F96038F7/0/BiodiversityBookwithcover1b.pdf

Allotments: A plotholder’s guide 2007
http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/documents/plotholdersguide.pdf

DEFRA 2002. The strategy for sustainable farming and food
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/strategy.htm

DEFRA 2003. Local food – a snapshot of the sector: Report of the working group on local food
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/foodname/lfood/pdf/local-foods-report.pdf

DEFRA 2006. How to increase opportunities for small and local producers when aggregating food procurement.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/aggregation-guidance.pdf

DEFRA 2006: Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy: Forward Look.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/pdf/sffs-fwd-060718.pdf

DEFRA 2007. Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) frequently asked questions
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/psfpi-faqs.pdf

DEFRA 2008. Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI): Putting it into practice
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/psfpi-putting-into-practice.pdf

FARMA 2006. Farmers markets in the UK: nine years and counting
http://www.farma.org.uk/Docs/1%20Sector%20briefing%20on%20farmers’%20markets%20-%20June%2006.pdf

FARMA 2008. 21 Reasons to support local foods
http://www.farma.org.uk/21reasons.htm

Food Vision 2008. Growing food.
http://www.foodvision.gov.uk/pages/growing-food

Food Vision 2008. Toolkits
http://www.foodvision.gov.uk/pages/toolkits

Scottish Agricultural College 2007. Local food marketing guide
http://www.sac.ac.uk/mainrep/pdfs/localfoodguide.pdf

Local Government Association 2005. Farming and food: A shared agenda
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/aio/22351

Lang T, Rayner G 2002. Why health is the key to the future of food and farming http://www.agobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=30300

Lang T 2006. The challenge of food culture: healing the madness
http://www.schumacher.org.uk/transcrips/schumlec96_Bri_TheChallengeOfFoodCulture_TimLang.pdf

Michaels S 2006. Parish food plans: Lessons learnt
http://www.localfood.org.uk/library/PFP-Lessons-Learnt.pdf

Rose C 2007. Food and values: A recipe to save British farming. Soil Association
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/94b4d558e66793c680256fa800349138/a47be15791135f578025728b0035db11!OpenDocument

Sustain 2002: Local food; benefits, obstacles and opportunities
http://sustainweb.org/pdf/briefing1.pdf

Sustain 2008. Ethical hijack
http://sustainweb.org/pdf/Ethical_Hijack.pdf

Perez noted that Jude Fanton, founder of Seed Savers, had worked closely with him on permaculture and organic farm projects in Cuba. She held a lunch for Roberto and his touring companions in Byron Bay, last Wednesday. Long term co-host of BayFM’s top-rating show, The Generator, Wayne Wadsworth, was a member of the original Dream Team, installing solar panels and permaculture-based market gardens in Havana when the USSR collapsed, taking the Cuban economy with it. “Wayne introduced some of these principles into Havana,” he told The Generator.

Robyn Francis, of Djanbung Gardens in Nimbin, organised Roberto’s tour of Australia which now moves to the southern capitals. She will tour Cuba later this year, as part of an exchange program.

Video and sound files of the interview are available from the Mullum Action Group’s website, www.mullumaction.org

The topic of local food has always been close to the heart of the Generator. As the introductory song says, "It’s about the plants you grow; the energy you use. It’s about the things you give and take … from the world around you … it’s about turning ideas into action."

When we first brought out the film "Power of Community," co-host Wadzy reminisced about his time in Cuba with Roberto Perez. Now Roberto is in Australia talking about the role that permaculture, organic food and urban agriculture plays in the city of Havana.

Three guests on Bay FM all discussed the role of distance and food on air.

Hear Kali Wendorf on Nyck Jeanes show talking about the role of corporations.

Hear Ken McLeod on The Generator talking about the resilience of societies

Hear Jane Thompson on The Generator talk about local food

Hear Jane and Ken discuss the ethics of food.