Post on 25-Mar-2016
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‘Who feeds Bristol? Towards a resilient food system’
A research report by Joy Carey,independent consultant, sustainable food systems planning
A food system approach
Baseline data, rapid appraisal – strengths & vulnerabilities
What basic ‘indicators’ might we see in a resilient and sustainable food supply system for Bristol?
‘Cook from scratch’Staples from city region
Diverse food retail
Engaged citizens
‘Closed loop’ systems
Good food is more than ‘cheap’or ‘convenient’. When talking
about sustainable and resilient food supply for Bristol, what
principles do we need to consider?
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Who does feed Bristol?
<4500 Bristol food businesses
• Catering 74%• Retail 21%• Manufacturing/
processing 3%• Wholesale/
distribution 2%
One in every ten jobs in the West of England is in the Food and Drink sector
NB: many caterers are small, the manufacturers and distributors are large
Strengths & vulnerabilities in the food system
For more details on strengths and vulnerabilities see ‘Who
Feeds Bristol’ summarywww.bristol.gov.uk/whofeedsbristol
Bristol Fruit Centre - critical
Map from ‘Markets 21’: Julie Smith and The Retail Markets Alliance, Nov 2009
Supplies: Fishguard, to Portsmouth, and from northeast of Oxford to Penzance.
Main customers:independent grocers,catering suppliers, caterers, NHS andlocal authorities
Concern: New food waste facilities located adjacent to market; longterm viability
Retail Overview:21% of Bristol food businesses are retailers but only a quarter sell staple food items
Types of food retail: 7% supermarkets17% butchers, bakers, fishmongers, delis,greengrocers76% corner shops, convenience stores, petrol stations, newsagents etc.
Specialist independent food retail: 180 shops owned by 140 businesses(details of snapshot surveys in main report)
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Retail – growth of the ‘big four’ (BBC Panorama data)
By 2009 the big four UK grocery market share was 75.6%
Waste Our current UK food system results in some 40% of food wasted
In Bristol 9,000 tonnes of household food waste is composted annually
Total household foodwaste c20-25,000 tonnes per year
No figures for commercial food waste
Creating a healthy ‘food aware, food resilient city’ – suggestions for action
• Good diverse fresh food shopping areas • Easy to reach fresh local food markets • Safeguard land for food – allotments and community gardens; gardens for new homes; roof gardens• Create food education spaces – school gardens, community kitchens, cookery classes • Food produced in and close to the city –new social enterprises like Sims Hill
Seeing things through a ‘food’ lens: what can we do at a neighbourhood level?
Healthy?
Supporting the local
economy?
Environmentally sustainable?
Why focus on independent and local retail?
Because you have to start somewhere, and a 10 percent shift in shopping habit could be enough to safeguard the diversity of our independent retail infrastructure for a while
www.bristolfoodnetwork.org
BFN have set up a positive city-wide Bristol Independents campaign to engage us all in supporting our independent
retail sector, launched 17 Sept.
‘Try something local from somewhere local’
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What will Bristol Independents do for traders?It is a web-based collective marketing and information tool for the city’s independent retail sector to use
It is administered by volunteers and supported by BCC, NHS Bristol etc
It can help independent traders work together to promote their businesses, and encourage more people in the city to use their local shops and support their local shopping areas
It is up to traders, community groups, Neighbourhood Partnerships and local organisations to make it work for them
www.bristolindependents.co.uk
September 2011 pilot created 8 local shopping area
postcards with a ‘cook from scratch’ recipe on the back
includingStapleton Rd
Stokes Croft & Picton St
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Progress on Bristol Independents
• 17th Dec - nominator prizes St Nicks Mkt• March 2012 – 2011 retail awards
announced• Christmas shopping focus on the website• Work on results of September pilot• Planning phase 2 & July 4th Independents
Day; need traders to get involved• Exploring ways to link with Bristol Pound
Action needed now to get our NP area engaged in and organised
forJuly 4th 2012
Bristol Independents Day
Opportunities for our NP areaEngage local traders –Stapleton Rd already in discussion
Create postcards and recipes for other shopping areas
Get involved with plans for 4th July 2012
Explore possibility of on-line shopping and delivery for local shopping areas
Look at late night opening to help with promotion Local shopping area
drop-in consultation to engage residents
Make links with other local community activities and work together egartists, transition groups, healthy eating groups etc
Get town centres running like businesses: by strengthening the management of high streets through new ‘Town Teams’
“Local authorities, landlords, retailers and the public need to work together to really animate the spaces they occupy; re-imagined as destinations for retail, socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning.”(Mary Portas)
Give communities a greater say: by greater inclusion of the high street in neighbourhood planning and encouraging innovative community uses of empty high street spaces.
Get the basics right to allow businesses to flourish
Define landlords’ rolesand responsibilitiesLevel the playing field: ensure a strong town centre first approach in planning
A few thoughts from Mary Portas