In the summer of 2023, Food Plymouth worked collaboratively with partnership and network members and Plymouth City Council to renew a Food Action Plan for Plymouth, in the wake of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the recent Covid-19 pandemic which visited significant change upon local food systems everywhere. The summary below outlines the actions contained within this short to medium-term Food Action Plan for Plymouth, covering a three year period from 2023 to 2026. It forms part of work underway to develop a wider five year Food Strategy and further Action Plan for Plymouth from 2024, facilitated by Food Plymouth in collaboration with Plymouth City Council.
The full Food Action Plan for Plymouth 2023-2026 can be downloaded as a pdf document: Plymouth Food Action Plan 2023-2026.
The actions it contains have been directly shaped and informed by Food Plymouth Partnership and Network members, in addition to learnings from the Best Food Forward People’s Assembly held in July 2023. Numerous actions within the document also correspond with those included in the Cost of Living Plan for Plymouth published by Plymouth City Council in August 2023. These are indicated by the use of a pale green coloured background within table.
The actions are grouped into different areas relating to the six key issues of the Sustainable Food Places movement – Food Governance and Strategy, Good Food Movement, Healthy Food for All, Sustainable Food Economy, Catering and Procurement, and Food for the Planet – in addtion to Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Infrastructure.
- Food Governance & Strategy
- Good Food Movement
- Healthy Food for All
- Sustainable Food Economy
- Catering & Procurement
- Food for the Planet
- Race, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Infrastructure
1. Food Governance & Strategy: taking a strategic and collaborative approach to good food governance and action
“We believe that to transform a place’s food culture and food system requires a joined-up strategic approach and committed long-term collaboration between individuals and organisations across every sector and at every level, from community grassroots and third sector organisations to businesses and council leaders. Key to achieving this are a strong cross-sector food partnership and an inspiring and ambitious food vision backed by a clear strategy and action plan.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
An adaptive and responsive Food Strategy and Action Plan | Undertaking a review of the current plan in 2024 alongside a deeper comprehensive Food Strategy development | Participatory events with Plymouth community members to directly inform, learnings from IFSTAL training resources | Food Plymouth partnership and network, Plymouth City Council | From January 2024 |
Balanced attention across the food partnership on environmental, social and economic resilience and sustainability | Widening and deepening expertise and practice across Food Plymouth core team, partnership and network to bring economic and environmental aspects to the fore alongside already strong social focus | SFP Toolkit, PeerLink learning from fellow Sustainable Food Places | Food Plymouth core team and partners | From September 2023 |
Strong food systems awareness across and between multiple Plymouth City Council departments helping to inform policy | Regular meetings between Food Plymouth team and Plymouth City Council colleagues from different departments – together – to explore key challenges and opportunities holistically | Learnings and resources from Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) training | Food Plymouth core team, Plymouth City Council staff and elected officials | From September 2023 |
2. Good Food Movement: building public awareness, active food citizenship and a local good food movement
“We believe that to drive a shift towards healthier and more sustainable food requires high public awareness of food issues and widespread participation in food-related activity, by both individuals and institutions, as part of a growing movement of active food citizenship. Key to achieving this are: communications and events that can inspire people about the role, importance and joy of good food; practical engagement opportunities such as growing, cooking and sharing food in every community; and a facilitated network through which food actors of every kind can connect and collaborate on-line and in person as part of a local good food movement.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
A wide range of classes and groups available to support people in accessing healthier foods, which might include growing your own food and how to prepare healthier meals on a budget | Continued funding of Grow, Share, Cook scheme, promotion and funding of classes and workshops run by other organisations across the city | Existing Grow, Share, Cook scheme, Growing Resilience workshops, Food is Fun workshops, JarSquad Assemblies | Plymouth City Council, Food is Fun, Tamar Grow Local, Livewell Southwest, Plymouth Community Homes, Communities of the Soil, Jabulani, JarSquad | In tandem with Plymouth Cost of Living Plan schedule and Anti-Poverty work programme |
A network of food community champions and ambassadors across Plymouth, representing diverse lived experience | Recruitment, training and regular meetings of individuals involved in food-related activities to engage and inspire others | Existing experiences and learnings from Plymouth Community Builders network, The Village Hub, FoodSEqual Community Researchers | Food Plymouth partnership and network members, Plymouth Community Builders | From January 2024 |
Regular visibility of food-related activities and initiatives across local media | Outreach to local media outlets to secure dedicated monthly coverage | Good Food Stories from Food Plymouth blog and directory, Plymouth Food Forum, media student volunteering and internship opportunities | Food Plymouth, Plymouth Herald, community radio stations, Bread & Butter Media, student-led communications | From September 2023 |
Food Plymouth Best Food Forward campaign is well-recognised and referenced across the city, with the pledge tracker as the go-to tool for food-related actions in the city | Promotion of the pledge tracker across organisations of all kind, with inspiring Good Food Stories and case studies to inspire further action via a public-facing promotional campaign e.g. posters | Learnings from fellow Sustainable Food Places with success in this area e.g. Bristol Going for Gold initiative, Cambridge Yes We Cam campaign | Food Plymouth core team, partnership and network | Ongoing |
3. Healthy Food for All: tackling food poverty, diet related ill-health and access to affordable healthy food
“We believe good food is a right not a privilege and that everyone should be able to eat healthily every day, no matter who they are, what they do or where they live. Key to achieving this are: ensuring all those in danger of going hungry or suffering malnutrition are able to access nutritious food while working to address the underlying causes of food poverty; raising awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet and giving people the skills, resources and support needed to feed themselves well; and changing people’s food environment – from institutional settings to high streets – to ensure affordable healthy food is available and accessible to all.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Organisations, businesses, educational settings and individuals informed about and actively reducing sugar content | Revival of the Sustain-led Sugar Smart campaign across Plymouth | Historic network of Plymouth Sugar Smart ambassadors, Sugar Smart portal and resources developed by partner organisations | Food Plymouth partnership and network, Plymouth City Council Public Health team, Food is Fun, Livewell Southwest, Argyle Community Trust, CATERed, local schools | From September 2023 – launch event in November 2023 |
Organisations, businesses, educational settings and individuals informed about and actively increasing uptake of vegetables | Continuation of the Sustain-led Veg Cities campaign across Plymouth and increase in pledges and actions from organisations and businesses in Plymouth | Veg Cities dashboard, Best Food Forward Awards scheme for caterers, Fit and Fed workshops for children as per 2022 and 2023 | Food Plymouth partnership and network, Plymouth City Council Public Health department, Food is Fun CIC, Fit and Fed programme | From January 2024 |
School holiday access to free activities and food for children in low income families | Continuation of Fit and Fed school holiday provision at educational centres, as well as park events for all residents | Continued funding, learning from existing provision | Plymouth City Council, CATERed, Food Plymouth partnership and network, Food is Fun | In tandem with Plymouth Cost of Living Plan schedule and Anti-Poverty work programme |
Increased uptake of Healthy Start scheme across Plymouth | Assist development and support of new public awareness campaign | Public Health team work to date, Community Builders network, learnings from fellow Sustainable Food Places | Food Plymouth partnership and network, Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon and partners | In tandem with Plymouth Cost of Living Plan schedule and Anti-Poverty work programme |
Healthy food is more accessible to student populations across universities and colleges | Introduction of new veg box initiative with Plymouth City Council and University of Plymouth | University and college support services, local suppliers | Plymouth City Council, universities and colleges, students’ unions | As part of Plymouth’s Anti-Poverty Work programme |
A well-established ‘pay it forward’ scheme across local food businesses and charities to directly benefit for those in need | Encouraging local food businesses and charities to operate a ‘pay it forward’ system so that people can pay for someone in need and promote it widely | Learnings from enterprises already offering similar initiative e.g. Memory Matters’ Moments Café | Plymouth City Council Economic Development team, local food businesses and charities | As part of Plymouth’s Anti-Poverty Work programme |
The following actions relate specifically to an emerging three-pronged collaborative approach to addressing issues of food insecurity and precarity in the Plymouth area currently in development between Plymouth City Council, Food Plymouth, Four Greens Community Trust and partners.
Approach | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Alliance A transition towards a Food Alliance focused model from a Food Aid focused model | Support services in Plymouth to promote a Cash First approach, via continued distribution of “Worrying About Money?” leaflet in digital and hard copy form, linking local banks with Citizens’ Advice to promote early advice for those struggling with debt, money management courses in schools | Plymouth “Worrying About Money?” resource, cost of living advice and resource hub, Community Builders and Wellbeing Hub networks | Plymouth City Council, Citizens’ Advice, Plymouth Food Aid Network, IFAN, local banks, schools network | In tandem with Plymouth Cost of Living Plan schedule and Anti-Poverty work programme |
Continued development of a comprehensive referrals system and an access portal with helpline, with an emphasis on wrap-around services supporting service users to get onto positive pathways away from needing continued food aid support | ||||
Continued collaboration with food support groups working with vulnerable groups – such as Plymouth Soup Run – to ensure that those for whom a cooperative model approach is not feasible can continue to access vital food | Plymouth Food Aid Network monthly meetings | |||
Approach | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Collective A coordinated, co-operative approach to securing affordable, good quality food for the city | Establishment of a Plymouth Food Buying Collective CIC and its bulk food buying, warehousing and redistribution of foodstuffs for food support work, including affordable food clubs and social supermarkets, with the Collective being organised on cooperative principles and following a membership model | Existing work of PFAN members and other food support providers | Plymouth City Council, Food Plymouth, PFAN and partners, local wholesalers | As part of Plymouth’s Anti-Poverty work programme |
Approach | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Connections A suite of Plymouth Food Cooperative Connections around food, aimed at addressing cost of living issues and delivering other benefits relevant to the Levelling Up agenda | Development of a thriving network of food cooperatives across the city as part of the Cooperation Town movement, with eight new Affordable Food Club provisions to supplement the existing clubs in Devonport, Ham, Manadon, Southway and elsewhere | Learnings from initial food co-ops established to date, support of Cooperation Town network | Plymouth City Council, Cooperative Food Organiser hosted by Four Greens Community Trust, community centres and places of worship, Transforming Plymouth Together | As part of Plymouth’s Anti-Poverty work programme |
Establishment of four major Social Supermarket provisions | Learnings from existing provision e.g. Four Greens Community Trust, and fellow Sustainable Food Places with successful models e.g. Middlesbrough | |||
Introduction of a mobile social supermarket provision to serve other disadvantaged neighbourhoods and pockets of deprivation in otherwise affluent areas, as well as supporting related food support activities in the city | Learnings from fellow Sustainable Food Places with successful implementation of similar schemes e.g. Liverpool | |||
Small scale manufacturing of pasta type sauces, jams, chutneys and preserves to make best use of residual fresh fruit and vegetables which might otherwise go to waste | Learnings from existing community initiatives using surplus food e.g. JarSquad Assemblies, All Ways Apples | Small-scale local food processing businesses |
4. Sustainable Food Economy: creating a vibrant, prosperous, and diverse sustainable food economy
“We believe that to make good food a defining characteristic of where you live depends, ultimately, on ensuring healthy and sustainable food businesses – from producers and processors to retailers and caterers – are mainstreamed as part of a revitalised local food economy. Putting good food entrepreneurs and enterprises at the heart of local economic development and promoting them to consumers not only ensures that buying healthy and sustainable food becomes the easy choice but also creates jobs, businesses and prosperity while regenerating high streets and city centres.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Increased visibility of the diverse independent local food retail space in Plymouth | Development of Good Food Directory for Plymouth to include both online and physical resources | Enterprise profiles and social media, dedicated Food Plymouth website platform, Sustainable Food Places Good Food Economy grant | Food Plymouth, local food enterprises and networks able to promote e.g. Plymouth Social Enterprise Network | Ongoing |
Clear signposting to culturally diverse food outlets and suppliers across the city | Development of culturally-specific food directory as part of Good Food Directory for Plymouth | Enterprise profiles and social media, dedicated Food Plymouth website platform | Food Plymouth, local food enterprises, DBI, | From January 2024 |
Dedicated support network for independent local food enterprises that can identify and respond to needs | Creation of peer support network with accompanying resources and learning opportunities | Plymouth Good Food Enterprise survey, local networks e.g. Plymouth Octopus Project, national networks e.g. Better Food Traders, School for Social Entrepreneurs | Food Plymouth, local food enterprises, relevant experts in areas of identified need (e.g. social media, marketing, etc.) | Ongoing |
Regular forums in which community members can actively meet and support local food enterprises | Annual Food Plymouth Community of Dragons event inviting pledges of support (of any kind) from members of the public | Learnings from Local Entrepreneur Forum events in Totnes, Torbay and further afield via the REconomy Centre, initial 2022 event | Food Plymouth, REconomy Centre, Plymouth Social Enterprise Network | Ongoing – next event in November 2023 |
Food-related pop-ups included in meanwhile use opportunities across Plymouth, particularly in the city centre | Cross-partner collaboration to increase number of and awareness of meanwhile use opportunities in the city that may be suitable for a food-related initiative | Learnings from Food Plymouth pop-up at Community Climate Centre in 2022, experiences of previous Plymouth Culture scheme participants, DBI learnings around The Bazaar at The Box | Food Plymouth Partnership and Network, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Culture, local commercial landlords, Drake Circus shopping centre | From January 2024 |
5. Catering & Procurement: transforming catering and procurement and revitalising local supply chains
“We believe that catering and procurement provide a uniquely powerful lever for promoting good food. By transforming catering across a wide range of settings – from nurseries, schools and colleges through hospitals and care homes to workplace canteens and smaller scale catering outlets – it is possible not only to improve the eating habits of many thousands of people but also to create the large scale demand for healthy, sustainable and local food needed to underpin a fundamental shift in the food production and supply system.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Visibility and recognition of Plymouth catering businesses committed to providing healthy, sustainable food offerings | Development of the Best Food Forward awards scheme for local caterers | Legacy of former Food Plymouth awards, examples from fellow Sustainable Food Places | Food Plymouth in collaboration with Plymouth City Council Public Health department | Ongoing |
Increased presence of healthy sustainable local food providers in Plymouth Supplier Directory | Collaborative approach across partners to invite participation of local enterprises and seek to remedy potential barriers to this going forward | Existing Plymouth Supplier directory | Food Plymouth, Plymouth City Council Economic Development department, Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, Plymouth Social Enterprise Network, Building Plymouth | From January 2024 |
Regular opportunities for local anchor institutions to meet local food producers, processors and suppliers | Working with local food enterprises to ensure participation in Meet the Suppliers and Pitch and Procure style events | Learnings from Previous Meet the Suppliers events and Pitch and Procure events | Food Plymouth, Plymouth City Council Economic Development team, Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth Social Enterprise Network | From January 2024 |
6. Food for the Planet: tackling the climate and nature emergency through sustainable food and farming and an end to food waste
“We believe that tackling the climate and nature emergency is the single greatest challenge of our time and will require a radical shift in our food and farming system towards agroecological production, sustainable diets and an end to food waste. By changing what we, as individuals and institutions, choose to eat, we can transform what, how and where food is produced and thus help to minimise any negative impacts on climate and biodiversity. At the same time, by tackling the tragedy of food waste, we can balance the need to feed a growing global population while remaining within planetary boundaries.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Domestic food waste collection for Plymouth households | Support Plymouth City Council to introduce service as soon as feasible and engage with promised review of a pilot collection | Learnings from Devon-wide initiatives, food waste data currently available | Plymouth City Council, Food Plymouth, Plymouth Food Waste Partnership (Environment Plymouth) | By 2026 |
Encourage interim engagement in DIY food waste composting opportunities meanwhile | GetComposting initiative, Generous Earth project, community composting sites e.g. Snapdragons at Victoria Park and Blockhouse Park | Developing Generous Earth team to support this | Ongoing | |
Citizens equipped with capacity and skills for co-stewardship of community land | Workshops and skill sharing events plus permaculture design courses | Building on the success of 2023 courses, excellent examples of community projects to showcase good practice and serve as venues for courses or workshops | Growing with Nature Network – a collaboration with Food Plymouth, POP+ and the Data Place (a legacy of the Green Minds Project), qualified Permaculture facilitators | Ongoing |
Plymouth residents supported to start growing their own food | Workshops and courses including Grow Your Own Food on a Budget | Community venues e.g. Snapdragons, showing a variety of ways to grow using organic and permaculture methods | Food Plymouth through the Growing Resilience project | Ongoing |
Support and connection of community growers to share skills, opportunities and resources | Running a series of seasonal networking and skill sharing events | Visiting different community gardening projects. | The Growing with Nature collaboratory led by Food Plymouth | Ongoing – Food Plymouth leading from September 2023 onwards |
A Growing with Nature map that reflects on-going activities across Plymouth | Regular checking and updating of the map | Growing With Nature map | The Data Place as part of the Growing With Nature Collaboratory | Ongoing |
7. Race, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: ensuring an inclusive, diverse and accessible local food system for all
“Food partnerships have the potential to be champions and catalysts for systems change in the UK food sector and beyond. However, more work needs to be done. Our food system currently mirrors and entrenches racial oppression and exclusion. Race has a huge influence on people’s experience of the entire food system, from food access to food sector work to inclusion in food policy spaces. Addressing culture and practice on race – being actively and intentionally anti-racist – is therefore essential in delivering a partnership’s core work. With food a cross-cutting issue, often revealing stark injustices within intersecting societal challenges from poverty to education, decision-making in the food sphere must be inclusive, diverse and accessible. All other intersections of oppression, from gender and LGBT+ to class and disability, will benefit from the dismantling of racism in the UK food sector and beyond.” Sustainable Food Places REDI for Change Review Toolkit |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
A more diverse and dynamic food partnership in which people of all backgrounds feel welcome and are able to actively participate | Piloting of the REDI for Change toolkit and expansion of learnings across all aspects of diversity e.g. gender, age, and more | Continued partnership working with Diversity Business Incubator (DBI), REDI for Change toolkit | Food Plymouth core team, partnership and network, DBI, Plymouth Community Builders network, community organisations working with specific groups e.g. young people, LGBTQIA+ | Ongoing |
A food presence at a wide variety of cultural events and initiatives across the city which involve diverse groups | Ensuring a Food Plymouth core team and / or partnership and network presence at major events e.g. Plymouth Pride, Plymouth Hope Festival, International Women’s Day | Ongoing calendar of events city wide, existing connections with specific groups across the city | Food Plymouth core team, partnership and network, DBI, | Ongoing |
An inclusive and cohesive strategy across Food Plymouth core communications | Development of a clear communications strategy that portrays and provides a platform for diversity and racial justice in the food and farming system | Sustain Diversity Style Guide, DBI knowledge, accessibility toolkits | Food Plymouth, Diversity Business Incubator, advocacy groups | From January 2024 |
8. Infrastructure: growing and sustaining a dynamic cross-sector food partnership for the future
“Food partnerships can be effectively led and hosted by a range of organisations – whether public agencies, community organisations or constituted. However, having the active support of the local authority is key. Councils hold many of the responsibilities, powers, resources, and influence that can create major shifts in local food economies and cultures, whether public procurement, planning, local economic policy, public health, or food poverty responses and more. SFP recommends the central and continued involvement of Local Authority representatives, whether councillors or officers. Having a senior food partnership champion in the local council can ensure that that partnership can impact more than single departments or teams. Local authorities are increasingly seeking to either lead or fund food partnerships in their area and the experience of SFP’s members shows that it is vital that food partnerships have dedicated paid roles to coordinate their activities.” Sustainable Food Places |
Outcome | Action | Resources | Who | When |
Food Plymouth as a thriving local food partnership serving the city into the future | Exploration of alternative funding options in a post-Sustainable Food Places core funding scenario from June 2024 | Food Plymouth’s experience to date, plus learnings and experiences of other food partnerships regionally (Cornwall, Devon, Exeter, Torbay) with different funding models | Food Plymouth core team, partnership and network, Plymouth City Council | Ongoing |
A dedicated Food Champion role undertaken by an elected member of Plymouth City Council | Continuation and further development of role currently held by Councillor Chris Penberthy | Learnings from fellow Sustainable Food Places with strong local authority partnership e.g. Bristol | Food Plymouth, Plymouth City Council | Ongoing |