The UK’s biggest ever conversation about food is set to reach hundreds more citizens, adding to the incentives for politicians to act on food during a period of a new government and beyond.
Over the past year, hundreds of people have taken part in The Food Conversation – and there are further workshops to come in London, Cornwall, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Now, The Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), which leads The Food Conversation, is inviting you to host your own event and join a unique UK-wide conversation about food.
These events aim to hear from local communities – listening to different perspectives, helping to build connections and cement relationships – all contributing ideas to improve the way we grow, make and eat food in the UK.
So far, FFCC is finding clear evidence that the British public wants UK food and farming to be fairer, healthier, greener. Already, local groups in more than forty locations across the UK are organising their own Food Conversations, made possible through our partnerships with organisations like Sustainable Food Places and Community Organisers.
An online toolkit takes people through a step-by-step guide to hosting a conversation in their own community, with options for online and in-person sessions. The toolkit includes a range of resources, including guided workshop sessions and films from experts in the food system. It’s designed to help spark conversation and debate amongst citizens about food and is free to anyone who wants to host a Food Conversation.
Participants and organisers will also be invited to join The Food Conversation Community, an online community of citizens working together to help shape the future of food.
Amit Dattani from Sustainable Food Places said, “The Sustainable Food Places programme is pleased to support Food Conversations, with our network of pioneering ‘Food Partnerships’; providing the platform for people to tell us about the changes they want to see, and what they think is needed to make that change happen.”
Pearl Costello from Food Cardiff said, “Food Cardiff is really excited to be taking part in The Food Conversation. One of our 5 Good Food Goals is for an empowering food movement, where communities can work together to shape their local food system. The Food Conversation toolkit should provide an easy to use, comprehensive framework to help us deliver on this.”