Source: City of Preston
Preston City Council has funded two new research projects to help better understand the region’s local food supply chain – who produces food in Lancashire, what they produce, and how they can be better supported to access public sector contracts.
The research, recommended by the Preston Climate Jury and discussed by the Central Lancashire Procurement Practitioners group, will help map the local food supply system.
Researchers from Edge Hill University and Social Research Consultancy, Sustainable Solutions, will lead the work. They will carry out surveys and in-depth interviews with farmers, producers, buyers and public sector organisations.
The aim is to identify business opportunities, supply chain gaps and procurement challenges across Lancashire.
Councillor Sarwar, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at Preston City Council said:
”Food systems are a main driver of climate change in the UK, and I am delighted to see Preston City Council moving forward with the People’s Climate Jury recommendation to increase access to locally produced food. This is a practical step towards a more local, low-carbon food system, and is also about fairness and supporting our farmers to thrive.”
Councillor Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building at Preston City Council said:
”Preston has long been a leader in Community Wealth Building, this work exploring access to contracts for local food producers will be another area in which Preston is a forerunner.”
The findings will support Preston City Council, local anchor institutions and other public sector buyers to improve access for small producers, contributing to climate goals and the council’s Community Wealth Building strategy.
Sven Batke, Chair of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium and one of the founders of EcoEdge at Edge Hill University said:
“To support food producers and create pragmatic, tangible outcomes that deliver net benefits for our local economy, it is essential that we work collectively and adopt data-driven approaches that are effective. This initial work will help us better understand key challenges and identify opportunities for the food sector in Lancashire.”
John Whitton from Sustainable Solutions said:
”Farmers and growers in Lancashire are keen to support local and sustainable food initiatives that support access to public sector contracts. How to do this in practice remains elusive and is the focus of this project.”