A verbal update on the Herefordshire Food Charter, following up from a full paper on the Sustainable Food Places model that went to the Health and wellbeing board last December.

Sign The Charter - Herefordshire Food Charter

https://herefordshirefoodcharter.org.uk/sign-the-charter

Pete Norton (Herefordshire Food Alliance Coordinator) provided the board with an update on briefing of the Herefordshire Food Charter It was explained that were over 40 signees and that the alliance was hoping to create an ‘umbrella for food activity’ in the county with a focus on health, local economy, community and environment.

The coordinator then urged board members to sign up to the charter and to circulate it with their partner organisations.

The development of a Marches Regional Food Procurement Hub with Monmouthshire, Shropshire, Powys, Telford & Wrekin councils was also reported. This was being led by Monmouthshire council and it had received an initial £10,000 grant from the Dixon Foundation to carry out a feasibility study, which if successful could in principle lead to up to a £100,000 further investment.

The alliance would also be applying for a sustainable food places bronze award in the next available round in Spring 2023.

The coordinator also informed the board that his colleague Rebecca Tully would be taking over the role of coordinator from November 2022.

The board applauded the work that had been done on the charter and the procurement hub and noted that good food was often neglected as being a key driver for health and sustainability.

Kristan Pritchard (Health Improvement Practitioner) highlighted the importance of this work particularly in relation to the healthy weight agenda. It was also a good example of how a whole systems approach to food could be used across the county.

The chair concluded the item and thanked the team for its excellent work.