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Food in Communities Conference 2022

Food in Communities Conference 2022

Food in Communities Conference

Food Sense Wales hosted a Food in Communities Conference at Yr Egin in Carmarthen on Friday, July 1st 2022.  The event offered an opportunity to discuss place-based approaches; community resilience and food leadership and brought together food leaders from across Wales to connect with each other, to share experiences, and inspire change. The conference included key note addresses, panel discussions and Q&A sessions to enable delegates to share best practice and inspire future collaboration, highlighting new opportunities for food leaders and partnerships across Wales.

Conference Overview

Panel Discussion 1: A framework for change: What are the advantages and opportunities of a place-based approach to food system development in Wales? 

This panel discussion featured key actors involved in innovative place-based approaches. We heard perspectives from Sustainable food Partnerships steering group members from across Wales and drew on experience from Scotland on integrating food plans into Scottish Law.

  • Chair: Simon Wright: Professor of Practice, UWTSD
  • Eryl Powell: Consultant in Public Health, Aneurin Bevan UHB – Blaenau Gwent Food Partnership
  • Alex Cook: SwperBox and Chair of Carmarthenshire Food Network
  • Simon Kenton-Lake: Nourish Scotland – SFP Scottish delivery partner
  • Louise Denham: Food Vale Sustainable Food Places Coordinator and My Food Community Graduate

Click here to watch panel discussion 1

Panel Discussion 2: Transforming policy through community action and local leadership 

Through presentations and discussion, the panel considered how mobilising a good food movement, building connections, resourcing anchor organisations and empowering community food leaders, catalyses change.

  • Chair: Gary Mitchell – Wales Manager, Social Farms and Gardens
  • Dr Angelina Sanderson Bellamy – Bristol Associate Professor of Food Systems, UWE
  • Abel Pearson – Founder and Grower, Glasbren
  • Emma Holmes - Clinical Lead for Public Health Dietetics, Cardiff and Vale UHB
  • Chris Nottingham – SFP Coordinator Blaenau Gwent and My Food Community Graduate

Click here to watch panel discussion 2
Panel Discussion 3: Institutional support and opportunities: future funding and resources for food partnerships in Wales

This discussion explored and shared future opportunities from Welsh Government, the National Lottery Community Fund and Sustainable Food Places.  

Chair: Diane McCrea, Chair Cynnal Cymru

Experience of developing and delivering collective place based funding bids

  • Food Poverty – building resilience to support communities through Welsh Government funding – Pearl Costello, Sustainable Food Places Coordinator, Food Cardiff
  • Delivering Levelling up: Developing Shared Prosperity – Experience from Torfaen and Caerphilly – Nikki Williams, Torfaen Council and Kevin Eadon, Caerphilly Council
  • Small Grants big Impacts: Small Grants and Building the Good Food Movement, Dale Cranshaw, Head of Food For Life Get Togethers, Soil Association

Current and Future funding opportunities :

  • National Lottery Community Fund – opportunities in Wales – Rachel Richards, Funding Officer, National Lottery Community fund
  • Transitional funding – opportunities from Welsh Government – Kevin Taylor, Scheme Policy Manager, Welsh Government
  • Support for Food Partnerships – Sofia Parente, Campaigns and Policy Coordinator, Sustain

Click here to watch panel discussion 3
In addition to panels and workshops the conference also showcased important work from the following:

Watch a video from the conference below that gives you an overview of the day:

Presentations from the Conference
Read Food Sense Wales’ latest Impact Report
Download the conference Agenda
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