The lovely Kath (& carrot🥕!) sums up this year's moving and momentous #Sustain25 Conference:
This is old wisdom
held together by values -
equity, ecology, safeguards
we HAVE the movement
we NEED the legislation
that defence against forgetting
Take heart -
the hope is here: in our collective bravery.
Just listening to @franbernhardt.bsky.social at #sustain25 interesting approach to making positive changes to food advertising - which are successfully influencing what and how big food produces. We have also to expose the murky world of vested interests.
Lee Rob of Carrick GreenGrocers says, "We already have many of the resources we need to make changes when we work together. Platforms to tell our story are important, as is a chance to just get building!" Read their brilliant story here: www.sustainweb.org/news/jul24-c... #Sustain25
Our Local and Regional Action Panel explores the opportunities ahead for local action and how our speakers and the movements behind them - Sustainable Food Places, Good Food Local and Bridging the Gap - are harnessing the power of local. #Sustain25
Now listening to Lee Robb from Positive Carrick Fergus - looking at how she can make space for other participants to come together to bring good food to a place. - She is exploring the power of different enterprises working together - co-operative working #sustain25 It started with a big lunch!
Now listening to Charlotte Molyneux from Devon county council and the Devon Food Partnership. - this is a council hosted food partnership . #sustain25 This sounds as if it has many advantages.
Now listening to Nikki Dravers - Gateshead Food Partnership @gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social on the development of the food partnership in Gateshead. #sustain25 She is talking about something near to my heart - bringing officers from across a range of different LA departments to look at food issues.
Our next session - Local and regional action for a better food system - features a stellar panel of food trailblazers: Katie Palmer @foodsensewales.bsky.social, Devon County Council's Charlotte Molyneux, @gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social's Nikki Dravers, Carrick Greengrocers' Lee Robb. #Sustain25
now listening to Katie Palmer from @foodsensewales.bsky.social who seem to be doing some good stuff. #sustain25 There is not yet a national strategy but a lot of promising local initiatives.
Finally, Baroness Walmsley gives love to #FreeSchoolMeals and the #HealthyStartScheme that are doing wonders for children's food access and good health. Our speakers urge the Food Strategy and the Child Poverty Strategy to champion these programmes. #Sustain25
"There's more than one kind of growth. What do we want? Growth in the companies making us sick, or growth in the organisations that are creating good, healthy food?
The costs of intervening are much less than the costs of not intervening." Baroness Walmsley hits the nail on the head. #Sustain25
Baroness Walmsley tells us:
"The state of children's health is an urgency. We urgently need mandatory regulations that enable a level playing field to help companies secure investment to shift to healthy food. The #SugarLevy worked because it was mandatory." #Sustain25
Anna Taylor @foodfoundation.bsky.social tells us:
"The #FoodStrategy process needs political leadership, having the Prime Minister himself leading from the front to deliver the food system changes needed." #Sustain25
Anna Taylor was asked about the advisory group on the national food strategy. Broadly positive - remains ambitious about the process, and feels that people from different starting points are engaging in good faith. There are reservations about the make up of the group. #sustain25
Our Food Strategy session brings together Anna Taylor @foodfoundation.bsky.social and Baroness Walmsley, Chair of the HoL Food, Diet and Obesity Committee sharing lessons from the previous Strategy development led by @henrydimbleby.bsky.social and what this process needs at its core. #Sustain25
next session on #sustain25 with Anna Taylor (who is on the board helping government revisit the National food strategy) and Baroness Walmsley. Anna thinks progress has been made on mandatory food reporting from big industry. (to help industry shift to healthier options)
We're joined by Dee Woods @ifanuk.bsky.social and Kat Jenner @oha-updates.bsky.social who underscore that a "just in case" food system is simply unjust - to public health and wellbeing, to producers and the planet. #Sustain25
Dee Woods, responding to Tim Lang - we have a "just in time food system" we are really not prepared for food shocks. #sustain25
Tim Lang's call to arms to the food & farming movement:
"You are in a powerful position as an alliance of the public interest. Pressurise Angela Rayner @mhclg-answers.bsky.social and the council regions to legislate food as a priority. Get mayors to act on food!" #Sustain25 @proftimlang.bsky.social
Tim Lang wants sustain to tackle Angela Raynor, and press for a stronger role for regional mayors to tackle the complex issues around producing and giving access to better food. #sustain25
Tim Lang - what do we need from government? We need to be prepared for food shocks and to tackle food inequality. A lot of this work needs to happen at a local level. #sustain25 We do not have enough joined up policy. Local authorities do not have the vision or the strength to make this happen.
Tim Lang picking up on the fact that some players in big food industry are very aware of the issues of food inequality - and want the government to take action to tackle this. #sustain25
Our #Sustain25 Conference kicks off with a keynote speech from @proftimlang.bsky.social on #civilfoodresilience: "People have a right to be fed, and it's in our collective interest". Read his report on narrowing the UK civil food resilience gap: nationalpreparednesscommission.uk/publications...
Tim Lang has been talking to the National preparedness commission - who are aware of the weakness of the national food system. Tim Lang thinks this is a role for a royal commission. #sustain25 He says that there were 89 risks identified for the country - only one of this was linked to food.
Food defence is a term from the 1930s - it is becoming very relevant again now. Britain is in a difficult situation. Has not thought about how to tackle this. #sustain25 Tim Lang Whole population health matters.
Key note speech from Tim Lang - #sustain25 Food should be seen as a key part of civil defence.
#Sustain25 - and we're live!
100s joining us today to discuss how we change the UK food system for good.
▶️ Look out for recording next week if you cannot join us today
#Sustain25 SOLD OUT! Follow hashtag for conference news
We'll hear from food partnerships, councils and community orgs:
w/ Katie Palmer @foodsensewales.bsky.social
Charlotte Molyneux, Devon County Council
Nikki Dravers, @gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social
Lee Robb, Carrick GreenGrocers
Nearly time for #Sustain25
Professor Tim Lang will be kicking off our Annual Conference, following the publication of his landmark report on UK civil food resilience.
Over 800 signed up. Last few tickets🔽
www.sustainweb.org/events/mar25...
One week til #Sustain25!
Government says it wants to codevelop a new food strategy - are we ready?
We discuss, w/ Anna Taylor from @foodfoundation.bsky.social & Baroness Walmsley, Chair of the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee
Final tickets 🔽
www.sustainweb.org/events/mar25...
