York has now become a Sustainable Food City and has been registered
as a member of the national Sustainable Food Cities Network.
We
want
York
to
be
a
city
where
it
is
easy
to
acquire
fresh,
locally
produced,
environmentally
sustainable
food
–
a
city
where
there
is
no
need
to
worry
about
how
much
your
food
has
contributed
to
global
warming,
deforestation
or
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
We
want
the
food
we eat to help sustain local food producers and help develop a varied, reliable local economy.
Here
at
good
Food
York
we’re
working
to
make
this
happen
–
we
want
to
support
individuals
to
buy
more
food
from
local
independent
growers
and
sellers,
grow
their
own
food
at
home
or
in
community
allotments,
to
prepare
fresh,
healthy
meals
and
to
waste
as
little
food
as
possible.
We
want
to
help
businesses
and
organisations
to
procure
healthy,
sustainable
food
that
helps
strengthen
the
local
economy:
in
turn, we’d like these local enterprises to help and enable the local community to come together to grow, cook and celebrate healthy food.
“Let’s grow new local support infrastructure that provides sustainable food for all.”
That was the message that came over loud and clear from the 100+ participants at York Citizens Food Assembly on 8th November.
A
mix
of
speakers
and
round
table
discussions
to
articulate
the
state
of
the
‘food
system’
across
York,
along
with
a
sense
of
what
is
needed
to
address
these challenges, were the basis of the day’s conversations.
A
huge
amount
of
incredible
support
already
comes
from
donations,
volunteers
and
organisations;
but
what
does
it
take
to
build
this
into
a
strong
infrastructure
which
benefits
everyone
across
the
city?
A
collective
aim
to
ensure
that
in
the
future,
no-one
in
York
went
hungry,
nutritious
and
delicious
food
was
available
for
all,
and
those
working
in
every
aspect
of
the
food
sector,
could
work
together
to
shape
how
this
is
sustainably
achieved.
We
heard
of
many
inspiring
initiatives
which
are
already
finding
solutions;
and
of
an
overriding
desire
to
make
changes
to
the
root
causes
of
food
poverty, poor diets, food waste, and unfair treatment of workers.
Many
thanks
to
all
those
who
came;
to
the
funders
-
the
ESRC
Festival
of
Social
Science;
and
all
of
our
partners:
the
University
of
York,
York
Environmental Sustainability Institute, IKnowFood, and the National Food Strategy.
York Citizens Food Assembly
York has now become a Sustainable Food City
and has been registered as a member of the
national Sustainable Food Cities Network.
We
want
York
to
be
a
city
where
it
is
easy
to
acquire
fresh,
locally
produced,
environmentally
sustainable
food
–
a
city
where
there
is
no
need
to
worry
about
how
much
your
food
has
contributed
to
global
warming,
deforestation
or
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
We
want
the
food
we
eat
to
help
sustain
local
food
producers
and
help
develop a varied, reliable local economy.
Here
at
good
Food
York
we’re
working
to
make
this
happen
–
we
want
to
support
individuals
to
buy
more
food
from
local
independent
growers
and
sellers,
grow
their
own
food
at
home
or
in
community
allotments,
to
prepare
fresh,
healthy
meals
and
to
waste
as
little
food
as
possible.
We
want
to
help
businesses
and
organisations
to
procure
healthy,
sustainable
food
that
helps
strengthen
the
local
economy:
in
turn,
we’d
like
these
local
enterprises
to
help
and
enable
the
local
community
to
come
together to grow, cook and celebrate healthy food.