Food Vale
Sustainable Food Places Member: Journey to Bronze
Food Vale is a partnership of dedicated individuals, community groups, organisations and businesses working together to build a thriving, healthy and sustainable food system in the Vale.
The partnership includes a range of stakeholders such as Cardiff and Vale University Health Board; Public Health Wales; Vale of Glamorgan Council; Glamorgan Voluntary; Newydd Housing; Fareshare and Cywai, Food Vale helps to co-ordinate action and promote local food systems within the county.
A member of the Sustainable Food Places network, Food Vale’s key priority areas as it develops a Good Food movement in the Vale of Glamorgan are:
- A good meal for everyone, everyday
- Thriving local food businesses which are supported and valued
- Think global, eat local
These values are set out in its Food Vale charter which shares a collective vision for the future of food in the Vale.
“With a backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit, it’s a really challenging time for many people. But I believe that there are also emerging opportunities for improving our sustainability and resilience as a county,” says Louise Denham, Food Vale’s Co-ordinator.
“There are a multitude of organisations, businesses and community members who are already doing so much for the healthy and sustainable food agenda” adds Louise. “There seems to be a real appetite to bring this all together and build on it to create a thriving, local food system which celebrates the unique character of the Vale and connects communities.”
Food Vale recently held an open meeting to help shape and create its local food system and Louise Denham was delighted with the support and energy shown by local residents.
“This was the first meeting of its kind in the Vale. It was fantastic to see such great representation of different groups across the Vale. I’m confident that with this level of engagement, the good food movement will continue to go from strength to strength,” she continues. “We discussed Ideas as varied as accessing land for growing; restrictions on junk food advertising; better access to locally-grown food; targeted training in nutrition; more options for recycling and plastic-free shopping.”
The next steps for Food Vale will be to review these ideas and combine them to form a sustainable local food plan of action for the year ahead – building on the great work that is already being done across the Vale. The Action Plan will include short- and long-term activities that will demonstrate the thriving local good food movement, as well as contributing towards Food Vale’s application for the Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award next year.
