Transition Exeter

Update, 16 Feb 10: The full report of the event has now been posted.

An Appetite for Local Food? was the invitingly provocative title for a groundbreaking workshop held in Exeter recently. The event was the brainchild of Transition Exeter’s Local Food Group, and was hosted by Transition Exeter, with amazing support provided by partnerships and organisations as various as Devon NHS to the National Trust. For the first time, a wide set of public, private and voluntary organisations with a shared interest in the many aspects of ‘local food’, were brought together to consider issues around local food. Costs of ‘business usual’ were shown to be huge, from the hit to council tax bills caused by food waste going to landfill, to soil erosion, carbon footprint, flooding and loss of biodiversity. The benefits of taking a more sustainable, low carbon approach to food were shown to be potentially enormous. The participants then considered what could and should happen right here in Exeter?

Transition Exeter suggested that we need a Local Food Strategy, setting out achievable objectives, towards which a range of local organisations can work. This is being done in other areas with great success. This idea received strong support, alongside many others, including procurement policies favouring local food more, working on educating all of us about the impacts of our food choices, and making it easier and more affordable for people to make good, sustainable food choices.

The Local Food Group meets at the TE monthly action meeting, on the second Tuesday of the month.  Anyone interested in supporting a more strategic approach to local food action is welcome to come along.

Lynn Wetenhall