'Growing interest' in Mid and East Antrim Sustainable Food Partnership

The Mid and East Antrim Sustainable Food Partnership hosted the recent event, facilitated by Nourish NI.

Those in attendance discussed the best way to progress the partnership across the borough, promoting all aspects of healthy and sustainable food.

The workshop covered six key themes:

• Taking a strategic and collaborative approach to good food governance and action;

• Building public awareness, active food citizenship and a local good food movement;

• Tackling food poverty and diet related ill health, increasing access to affordable healthy food;

• Creating a vibrant, prosperous and diverse sustainable food economy;

• Transforming catering and procurement by revitalising local and sustainable food chains;

• Tackling the climate and nature emergency through sustainable food and farming – helping bring an end to food waste.

The Sustainable Food Partnership is a programme led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. It is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Local Basis

The Mid and East Antrim Sustainable Food Partnership consists of public sector bodies, third party sector representatives, local businesses, academic institutions, farmers, community groups and council.

It is a whole systems approach connecting lots of different levels, across all sectors of the food system.

The local government authority recently joined the partnership and says it is committed to working across all aspects of the food system to solve some of today’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues on a local basis.

The Mayor, Alderman Noel Williams, said: “This workshop was a great opportunity for local community groups, food industries and growers to collaborate and help make a difference in Mid and East Antrim.

"I am keen to see this food movement active in our borough to ensure that local people will have access to tasty, healthy and affordable local produce.

“I am delighted that so many people attended and look forward to seeing what is in store for the future.”

For further information or if interested in joining the partnership, contact: [email protected]