FOOD SUSTAINABILITY

ACTION PLAN FOR MIDDLESBROUGH

FINAL DRAFT

MAY 2011

CONTENTS

  1. BACKGROUND TO THE FOOD SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLANx
  1. AIM OF THE ACTION PLANx
  1. OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION PLANx
  1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION PLANx
  1. SUMMARY OF THE THEMESx
  1. STRATEGIC CONTEXT FOR THE ACTION PLANx
  1. ACTION PLANS FOR THE THEMESx
  1. ACTION PLAN MANAGEMENTx

FOOD SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN FOR MIDDLESBROUGH

POST CONSULTATION DRAFT

A.BACKGROUND TO THE FOOD SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN

1.For most people living in the UK, access to the food we want to eat, when we want it, is something that is taken for granted. Since the 1950’s the relative cost of food, as part of total household income, has decreased and the range and variety of foods available has broadened. However, the systems of production and supply of food are extremely, and increasingly, complex and highly vulnerable to change. Also, the choices we make about food have far reaching consequences for our health and well-being and the prosperity and well-being of others. Some of the issues that highlight this complexity and vulnerability are as follows:

  • Cheaper food prices in the UK have been driven by the intensification of farming systems. Whilst this has had many benefits in terms of reducing costs and broadening availability of food, it has had serious environmental consequences. These include loss of wildlife habitats, reductions in the fertility of soils and the pollution of watercourses by fertilizer run-off.
  • Modern systems of food production rely very heavily on fossil fuels. This includes methods of growing and harvesting, production of man-made fertilizers and the transport of produce. As fuel prices increase, so the cost of food can also be expected to rise.
  • Modern farming systems are also vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For example intensive production is often reliant upon availability of a water supply and fluctuations in weather conditions can significantly affect crop yields.
  • Food production has become a global business. More produce is now being transported around the planet, either as a result of changes in consumer demand or availability of food supplies.
  • The greater availability of food has not always led to better choices of food made by consumers. Increases in the consumption of saturated fat, sugary foods and salt have all had serious health consequences and the health effects of obesity are becoming one of the biggest burdens on the National Health Service. Middlesbrough has a particular issue with growing levels of obesity.
  • Low prices and greater availability have sometimes been achieved through the exploitation of others, especially in developing countries. On a global scale, this has contributed to loss of sustainable farming systems, soil erosion and deforestation.
  • Tackling waste is a priority at a national and local level. With increasing recycling of inert materials such as metal, plastic, glass and paper, food waste has become the single largest source of waste sent to landfill or incineration. Although food manufacturers are keen to minimise packaging to reduce their costs, there is still significant packaging associated with food. This includes the packaging associated with fast foods, which is not generally recycled.

2.In effect, as food has become more affordable and readily accessible, so people have become separated from its production, supply and preparation. There is a need to create supply chains that are more locally based, to promote healthier living and develop food systems that are sustainable socially, economically and environmentally. Table 1 includes some national facts about food production.

3.Locally, here in Middlesbrough, the complexity of the food system is already having an impact and it will continue to do so. It is likely that the cost of food will rise, placing financial burdens on households that may already be struggling in difficult times of austerity and which may be facing reductions in household income. Obesity levels in Middlesbrough are already high and will continue to grow if action does not continue to be taken. Poor diet, along with low levels of physical exercise, is one of the key causes of obesity. Highly successful interventions such as the Healthy Town Programme and Healthy Eating initiatives in schools and communities are making a real difference. Middlesbrough has already attained FairtradeTown status and retaining this is a priority. The town has already made significant improvements in recycling rates and reducing food waste provides opportunities to improve waste reduction and recycling rates still further.

4.Potentially, a combination of factors could lead to a rise in food poverty in Middlesbrough. Food poverty can be defined as the inability to obtain healthy affordable food. This may be because people lack shops in their area or have trouble reaching them. Other factors influencing food access are the availability of a range of healthy goods in local shops, income, transport, fear of crime, knowledge about what constitutes a healthy diet, and the skills to create healthy meals.

5.The Action Plan will need to fit within the existing policy framework of Middlesbrough Council. In particular, the Action Plan fits within the Local and Sustainable Food theme of the One Planet Living Action Plan. There are also close links to the Climate Change Community Action Plan.

Table 1 – Some facts about food in the UK

Economy / The public sector in England spends around £2 billion per year on providing food and drink to service users, staff, the general public, clients and visitors.[1]

The NHS spends over £300 million on food and £500 million on catering overall each year[2]

Agriculture and food processing is worth over £80 billion to the UK economy and is our largest manufacturing sector. 3.6 million people are employed in food production.[3]
The food industry employs12.5% of the UKworkforce.[4]
Expenditure on school food is estimated at £1.2 billion annually[5]
Health / 90% of people say that eating healthily is important to them, but only 14% of us eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.[6]
Almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children in England are overweight or obese, leading to increasing risks of diabetes, cancer and heart and liver disease[7]
If no action is taken, it is predicted that 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children would be obese by 2050[8]
Direct costs to the NHS of obesity and overweight are estimated to be £4.2 billion and Foresight have forecast that this will more than double by 2050 if we continue as we are.[9]
Foresight estimated that weight problems already cost the wider economy in the region of £16 billion, and that this will rise to £50 billion per year by 2050 if left unchecked. [10]
Climate Change / The food and drink sector is estimated to be responsible for generating 18% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions[11]
If all UK farmland was converted to organic farming, at least 3.2 million tonnes of carbon would be taken up by the soil each year - the equivalent of taking nearly 1 million cars off the road. [12]
Widespread adoption of organic farming practices in the UK would offset 23% of UK agricultural emissions through soil carbon sequestration alone[13]
Food accounts for 25% of the distance travelled by lorries in the UK, and 12 billion miles driven a year by consumers. The social and environmental costs of food transport - including significant GHG emissions - are £9 billion a year[14]
The food industry contributes about 14% of energy consumption by UK businesses and 7 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year[15]
Food Waste / The food industry is responsible for about 10% of the industrial and commercialwaste stream[16]
In the UK we throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink every year. Less than a fifth is truly unavoidable. 2.2 million tonnes is thrown away due to cooking, preparing or serving too much and a further 2.9 million tonnes is thrown away because it was not used in time. [17]
In the UK we spend £12 billion every year buying and then throwing away good food. That works out at £480 for the average UK household, increasing to £680 a year for households with children – an average of just over £50 a month.[18]
Throwing away food that could have been eaten is responsible for the equivalent of 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year – that’s the same as the CO2 emitted by one in every four cars on UK roads.[19]
Government aims to recycle or compost 45% of household waste by 2015 and 50% by 2020[20]

B.AIM OF THE ACTION PLAN

6.The overall aim of the Food Sustainability Action Plan for Middlesbrough is:

“To make food a valued resource, where production, supply and use in Middlesbrough is sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.”

C.OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION PLAN

7.The above aim will be reached through the achievement of the following objectives:

  • To raise awareness of the central economic, social and environmental role of food amongst Middlesbrough residents and businesses;
  • To increase the amount of fresh produce that is grown and sourced locally by local people and businesses;
  • To promote healthy eating and improve access to healthier food options in Middlesbrough;
  • To promote the use of Fairtrade and ethical food alternatives;
  • To reduce the amount of food waste, including packaging, that is either landfilled or sent for incineration.

D.DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN

8.The Food Sustainability Action Plan was developed through a partnership approach engaging a range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary and community sectors. The key stages in development were as follows:

  • An initial scoping session with partners was undertaken in December 2009 in order to agree the full breadth of the Action Plan and identify the principal areas to be addressed.
  • MiddlesbroughEnvironmentCity working with Middlesbrough Council and NHS Middlesbrough then developed an outline draft for consultation with key partners.
  • Consultation took place with key partner organisations to ensure that an accurate draft was produced that was suitable for wider public consultation.
  • The consultation draft was then used for wider consultation with partners and the general public. As part of the consultation process, presentations and consultation exercises were undertaken with specific interest groups.
  • Views of the public were also obtained through the One Planet Living Action Plan consultation.
  • Finally, the Action Plan was agreed by Middlesbrough Council as the lead partner in its delivery.

E.SUMMARY OF THE THEMES

9.The Action Plan is divided into four themes that reflect the need to make food systems sustainable socially, economically and environmentally. These themes are as follows:

Theme 1 – Promoting Local Supply

10.This theme focuses on maximising the provision of food from local sources. This includes increasing the number of residents growing their own produce. The theme also involves encouraging more catering and retail outlets in the public, private and voluntary sectors to procure local produce, where local is broadly defined as within 50 miles of Middlesbrough. This theme is the most underdeveloped of the four and therefore there is a stronger emphasis on the actions.

Theme 2 – Encouraging Healthy Eating

11.Theme 2 considers the actions needed to encourage healthier eating in Middlesbrough. At a community level this includes community education and the provision of healthier options in community cafés, schools and other local facilities. On a larger scale, it also considers ways of encouraging large retail and catering outlets to promote healthy eating, inform customers about the nutritional value of products and stock a wider range of healthier options. This area of work has already been well developed by Middlesbrough Council and Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust, including through the Food4Health initiative. For example, the Healthy Cooking Skills Programme run by the Council’s Community protection Service has already trained over 70 local people who work or volunteer in the community to become Food4Health trainers. The new trainers are delivering community cooking sessions. Middlesbrough also has a successful Healthy Schools Programme which includes parent and child cooking classes. The Theme links closely with the Health and Happiness theme of the One Planet Living Action Plan. Within this document, the existing actions are reinforced and supported rather than a raft of additional actions developed.

Theme 3 – Delivering Fairly Traded and Ethical Supply

12.This theme links closely with the existing Fairtrade programme in Middlesbrough. The town achieved Fairtrade status in 2007 and there is an active Fairtrade Group which develops a workplan each year and monitors its implementation. The implementation of the Theme supportsthe Fairtrade workplan but also addresses wider international ethical issues that are not covered by Fairtrade. It linksclosely with the Equity and Local Economy theme of the One Planet Living Action Plan.

Theme 4 – Tackling Food Waste

13.The final Theme of the Action Planfocuses on dealing with the waste materials arising from the production, distribution and consumption of food. It uses the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse and recycle in order to address the issues both of waste food itself, but also tackling excess packaging on food. There will be a close link to the Zero Waste theme of the One Planet Living Action Plan.

F.STRATEGIC CONTEXT FOR THE ACTION PLAN

Sustainable Community Strategy

14.The breadth of impact of food is demonstrated through the number of themes of the Sustainable Community Strategy to which it relates, with links to five of the six themes.

15.The strongest linkages are to:

  • Theme 4 – Promoting Adult Health and Well-being, Tackling Exclusion and Promoting Equality

In particular, the Action Plan will contribute to tackling obesity through healthy eating and increasing physical exercise. There is also a link to improved mental well-being through, for example, the benefits of gardening and physical activity.

  • Theme 6 – Securing Environmental Sustainability

The Action Plan links to priorities around reducing carbon emissions, reducing household waste and increasing household waste recycling rates. There is the opportunity to contribute to creating a network of high quality open spaces through food growing projects.

16.Other linkages are to:

  • Theme 1 – Creating Stronger Communities

There are opportunities for cultural activities linked to food and also volunteering opportunities related to food growing, distribution and preparation.

  • Theme 3 – Supporting Children and Young People

The Action Plan will link closely to the Be Healthy strand, through promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Involvement in food projects will also contribute to the Enjoy and Achieve strand.

  • Theme 5 – Enhancing the Local Economy

There are links through developing local food systems and social enterprises, working with local businesses on sustainable food and the impact of food transport.

One Planet Living Action Plan

17.One Planet Living is the sustainability framework adopted by Middlesbrough Council and its partners to enhance social and economic well-being within the carrying capacity of the planet. There will be a direct correlation between the Food Sustainability Action Plan and the Local and Sustainable Food Theme of the One Planet Living Action Plan, which is described further in Section 8 on management of delivery of the Action Plan. There will also be links to the following themes: Zero Waste (linked to Tackling Food Waste); Equity and Local Economy (linked to Fairtrade and Ethical Production); and Health and Happiness (linked to Healthy Eating).

Middlesbrough Council Sustainable Procurement Strategy

18.Middlesbrough Council has a Sustainable Procurement Strategy that provides a framework for building environmental, social and economic sustainability into purchasing decisions. The Sustainable Procurement Strategy provides a mechanism to embed the Action Plan into the purchasing decision-making of the Council.

Middlesbrough Allotments Strategy

19.The Allotments Strategy was refreshed in 2010 and provides a framework for the regeneration of the town’s allotments, including opportunities to broaden interest in allotments from sectors of the community not widely represented. The Allotments Strategy has informed particularly Theme 1 on Promoting Local Supply.

Middlesbrough Public Health Strategy

20.Links to the Public Health Strategy are made principally through the priority of tackling obesity through the promotion of healthy eating, linked to Theme 2 of the Action Plan. There is also potentially a link to Theme 1 through encouraging greater physical exercise associated with food growing at home or on allotments.

Healthy Town Programme

20a.The Middlesbrough Healthy Town Programme ran between 2008 and 2011 and was focussed on tackling obesity through increasing physical exercise and promoting healthy eating. The learning from the projects in the Urban Farming Theme and the wider programme of activity, which was extensively evaluated, has been included in the development of the Action Plan.

Middlesbrough Fairtrade Action Plan

21.Middlesbrough became a FairtradeTown in March 2007 and has renewed its status each year since then. In order to retain the accolade, the town has to meet a number of criteria. These criteria include the Council passing a resolution supporting Fairtrade and using Fairtrade tea and coffee in all of its meetings, widespread support for the campaign amongst all sectors, a strong promotional campaign and support for Fairtrade Fortnight. In addition, the town has to demonstrate that there are a number of retail and catering outlets supplying two or more Fairtrade products. The precise number is dependent upon population; Middlesbrough is currently required to have 28 retail and 14 catering outlets, a target which it meets comfortably. The programme is overseen by the Fairtrade Group, chaired by the Council’s Executive Member for Community Protection, with support provided by MiddlesbroughEnvironmentCity. Each year the group develops a Delivery Plan to maintain the status, which will form the basis of the Fairtrade Theme of the Food Strategy.

Joint Waste Management Strategy

22.Middlesbrough Council along with its four TeesValley neighbours shares a Joint Waste Management Strategy which includes consideration of food waste composting. The partnersare also looking at waste disposal options which will best serve the needs of the area particularly after 2020 when the current waste disposal contract terminates. Integral to this process is consideration of the various waste streams some of which are already separated out for specific treatment. Currently food waste is not one of those waste streams and is usually disposed of to incineration with energy recovery.