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Food Strategy Group

We want to see a substantial increase in the amount of sustainable local food that is produced, processed and eaten in and around Exeter. There are already quite a few separate projects, but what we want is to see a step change, with food taken seriously as a topic for local government, public health bodies, economic development agencies and so on.

We see our role as being a catalyst for getting a range of organisations and sectors to become more aware of the issues and benefits around local food consumption, and from that, encourage them towards action.

The Local Food Strategy Group meet at the Transition Exeter monthly action meeting, held on the second Tuesday of each month.  Anyone interested in supporting a more strategic approach to local food action is welcome to come along.  Please keep an eye on the TE website, to check the exact time and venue in case of any change.

There are lots of things that can be done, for example:

  • supporting better integration of all the current activies that are already going on in Exeter and district
  • talking to private, voluntary and public sector organisations about the direct benefits for them
  • encouraging organisations and individuals to become actively involved in a collective programme of action, underpinned by some clear strategic goals for the medium to long term
  • seeking ways to better support existing individiual projects – we would like to see an umbrella charitable trust for Exeter food projects
  • helping producers to make connections to both consumers and policy makers

An Appetite for Local Food?  Workshop event, January 2010

This was the invitingly provocative title for a groundbreaking workshop held in Exeter on 20th January 2010. 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 varying from 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 as a strategic, cross-cutting issue. Costs of ‘business usual’ were shown to be huge, from the hit on council tax bills caused by food waste going to landfill, to soil erosion, carbon footprints, flooding and loss of biodiversity. The benefits of taking a more sustainable, low carbon approach to food were shown to be potentially enormous.

Transition Exeter suggested to participants that we need a Local Food Strategy, which sets out achievable objectives towards which a range of local organisations can work. This is being done in other areas of the country with great success. This idea received strong support, alongside many other ideas, such as: procurement policies favouring local food more; working on the education of 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.

To read more about what practical achievable outcomes could be achieved right here in Exeter, view the full Transition Exeter Local Food Workshop Report, 20th January 2010 (pdf, 955k).

View the results of the survey seeking producers’ views (pdf, 274k) on the question ‘What actions could local organisations / policy makers take, that would make your life easier and your business more viable?’

A number of speakers gave relevant presentations to illustrate the drivers, the benefits and the opportunities for local food production systems. This was followed by examples of work in and around Exeter and elsewhere in the UK.  The presentations can be viewed using the links below:-



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