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Nottinghamshire has developed a strong academic focus on sustainable food and is developing a body of local research through partnerships with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.  The University of Nottingham Food Systems Institute brings together researchers from across disciplines and work with industry and policymakers to deliver solutions to transform the food system, from production and processing, through to transport, consumption and waste. Nottinghamshire Sustainable Food Network partners have been at the core of the many research projects undertaken by Nottingham Trent University, Coventry University and University of Nottingham. Some of the examples below show the collaboration of academic partners and local organisations working to transform the food system and understanding of barriers and alternative solutions.

https://geofoodie.org/more-than-just-food/

Home - The Urban Worm

Best Food Forward | food education | The School of Artisan Food, Lower Motor Yard, Welbeck, UK

feedingbritain.org

www.rigsbys.uk

We want to ensure community involvement and engagement to empower individuals, organisations and communities to participate in decision-making and initiatives regarding our food systems. We will utilise the Nottinghamshire Food Charter as a call to action to encourage leadership and collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, not-for-profits, community groups, businesses, and individuals. Key to achieving this are: communications that can inspire people about the importance and joy of good food e.g. food ambassadors, practical engagement opportunities e.g. community growing projects; and a facilitated network through which food actors of every kind can connect and collaborate as part of a local good food movement.

Our residents deserve access to sufficient safe, healthy and nutritious food no matter where who they are, where they live or what they do. This requires us to address the causes of food poverty and ensure people’s food environments are changed for the better. We want to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and understanding of how to access nutritious and affordable food and giving people the skills, resources and support to encourage and enable the development of food growing, preparation knowledge and skills.

Working to ensure that barriers to health improvement are reduced through access to healthy nutritious food.

Increase access to healthier food by encouraging healthier eating habits and promoting good food education. We will aim to support and inspire initiatives that raise awareness of the importance of a balanced diet and the benefits of fresh, nutritious food across all ages of our society.  We will aim to connect people through food to improve social and health benefits.

Working with local food organisations will allow us to contribute to local economic development and strengthen the local food system for the health of people and the planet.  We can do this by celebrating, promoting and supporting local food producers and manufacturers to become more sustainable. We can facilitate high streets and food businesses to have a wide choice of food for their customers. We can work with and support innovative local food initiatives and businesses.

Transforming food procurement and catering includes creating and supporting a thriving local food and drink ecosystem and a powerful lever for promoting good food. By supporting organisations that create food and drink in a variety of ways we can encourage the development of healthy and sustainable goods that are part of the Nottinghamshire identity. This is turn, can create an increased demand for healthy, local, sustainable food and an appetite to support local food businesses and groups through procurement and catering.

We aim to develop local and regional food systems that make a positive contribution to the environment and climate emergency through a reduction in food waste, food miles and unnecessary packaging. By changing the way we as individuals and organisations produce food and eat, we will help improve biodiversity and minimise food waste We will promote increased recycling from the whole supply chain.

Feeding Ashfield Feeding Ashfield - Ashfield District Council

Bassetlaw Food Insecurity Network(BFIN) About BFIN | Bassetlaw CVS

Feeding Mansfield Food support – Mansfield District Council

Feeding Newark & Sherwood Newark and Sherwood - Feeding Britain

Feeding Rushcliffe Feeding Rushcliffe - Rushcliffe Borough Council

Broxtowe and Gedling are currently exploring options to develop a Food Network in their areas.

These Networks are co-ordinated by local area Food co-ordinators and supported by Home - Feeding Britain

You can be part of the Good Food Movement by becoming a member of the NSFN. Contact nimisha.patel@nottscc.gov.uk

Public restaurants, much like libraries or public transport, could offer universal access to nutritious, affordable meals in social settings—co-designed with local residents to reflect their tastes and needs. This approach has the potential to improve public health, strengthen communities, and support ethical, sustainable food production.

Application pack and guidance for the Silver Award

Previous applications

A further Tool is currently being developed focussing on wider Food related considerations to empower Planners and Developers. To be added

In 2022/ 2023 NCC allocated £800k to develop and support community food activity with a focus on sustainability and inequality. A steering group of Network members provided oversight on decision making and management of the grants scheme. The implementation of a small grants scheme enabled and strengthened 245 community led interventions to address food insecurity through building skills, knowledge and confidence in cooking and growing food: strengthening and expanding a food infrastructure through capacity building and improving access to affordable healthy food.

A total of £210,000 will be allocated through the Food Redistribution Grant by 2026. Equally, £450,000  was allocated to community groups through the Cost of Living grant.

These funding streams have increased the number and quality of existing community food interventions such as social supermarkets and pantries, food clubs, social eating spaces and community cafes. It has also provide valuable worker time to support new innovation and existing evidence based good practice.

NCC’s Best Start Strategy  has embedded good food messaging for early years  into its action to ‘Develop key messages about health and wellbeing in the early years that are shared widely by a wider range of professionals and partner organisations’   

NCC use of Sustain's Good Food Local Toolkit to bench mark progress of Local Authority food action on food and policy development.

Development of the Food Environment toolkit for planners & developers to support decision making for a healthier food environment

The Nottinghamshire Food Charter

The Good Food Nottinghamshire web pages

Nottinghamshire Sustainable Food network Padlet

The BFIN book

Best Food Forward- assessing and addressing food literacy gaps in schools and with health professionals . Providing opportunity for system partners to feed into mapping, training, and curriculum development through FEMP event (report to be added soon).

Food Literacy in schools guidance pack ( in progress)

Food Security:

Development of the Civil Food resilience group ( in progress) and food asset mapping

Induction pack for food support provisions working with Homeless and Homes for Ukraine Teams to shape guidance for food providers and information

Social Action Hub evidence of multi faceted action to address different needs , showing flexibility and responsiveness to community and groups from elderly , youth, addressing loneliness , food poverty, mental health, activities , food literacy etc.

Jigsaw Housing The Grocer. shows how a Housing sector organisation is well positioned to address needs not only of its residents but of the community within which it sits.

Fresh Street Manton Pilot evidencing the relationship with a local fruit and veg supplier , community allotment and CVS to generate action in a hyper local area through multi sector approach.

Sutton Market: example of local F&V supplier working with local schools to improve uptake of healthy food for local families ( in progress)

DISHED: research project building in sustainable business model of public canteens and affordable healthy meals through a multi sector approach. Nottingham/shire is one of 2 areas chosen to pilot this innovative model.

joint city/ county local supply and procurement themed group leading this work

EMCCA suppliers event

NCGN- co-ordination/ facilitation of forum for growing related groups. Mutual support and peer learning, training opportunities.

EMVA-funding opportunities for sustainability focused projects

We recognise that understanding what food assets we need and that we have and a means to make this accessible to the public is currently missing. Notts Help Yourself has been the centralised system that we have encouraged groups to sign upto to to promote their activities. Currently much of our group activity is promoted within each District. However we hope to complete a comprehensive data collection and hosted mapping project as part of the Food Resilience work. Currently we are explore funding opportunities to progress this work. Watch this space.

FOOD AND WRAP AROUND

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Through the exercise, several areas where we can improve were identified, including the need for stronger strategic coordination across the food system, more consistent community engagement, limited data in some areas, and opportunities to strengthen food procurement, sustainability, and local food economy. By learning from these insights, we can build on existing good practice and develop more robust, evidence‑based policies that support a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food system for all Nottinghamshire residents.