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Edible Edinburgh presentation for World Expo in Milan Sept 2015
- 1. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Edible Edinburgh: a Case Study in Smart and Sustainable Development Marianne Paget City of Edinburgh September 2015
- 8. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Scotland 2015: Year of Food and Drink
- 11. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk How do we become a Sustainable Food City?
- 12. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Public Sector Leadership and Procurement
- 13. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Edinburgh Food for Life Partnership (EFFLP) Pilot Project to: o Identify and tackle barriers to providing increased levels of seasonal, fresh, local, higher welfare and organic food within public sector catering. o Achieve the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark in selected sites. o Engage children and young people, parents, patients, students and staff to increase knowledge of where their food comes from. o Evaluate the measurable impacts of the changes made.
- 14. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk The FFL Catering Mark No undesirable additives and hydrogenated fats At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared All meat is from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards Eggs are from cage-free hens (free range from 2015) Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted Catering staff are supported with skills training and are engaged in food education No GM ingredients No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list Information is on display about food provenance All suppliers meet appropriate food safety standards Caterers in schools, early years and residential settings meet nutrition standards/guidelines The Food for Life Silver and Gold Catering Mark Standards, in addition to meeting the Bronze standard, require additional points which address three core principles. Sourcing ethical and environment-friendly food Championing local producers Making healthy eating easy
- 15. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Partnership o Transition Edinburgh South CCF Project o NHS Lothian o Community Food & Health Scotland o Iglu Bar & Restaurant o City of Edinburgh Council o Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation Council o SRUC –Scotland’s Rural University College o Nourish Scotland o Scotland Food & Drink o Stirfresh o Soil Association Scotland o Edinburgh Community Food o Edinburgh College o Queen Margaret University o Sodexo o Zero Waste Scotland o University of Edinburgh o NFU Scotland o ELREC – Edinburgh and Lothian Race Equality Council
- 16. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Edible Edinburgh ‘Edinburgh is a city where good food is available and accessible for all, making for healthy people, thriving communities and a sustainable environment.’
- 18. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Feeding the 5,000 – voluntary action
- 20. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Strategy The Edible Edinburgh Sustainable Food City Plan
- 21. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Strategy - Outcomes o More fresh, healthy and sustainable food eaten o Fewer people living in food poverty o Our natural environment and resources are protected and conserved with fewer emissions o A thriving food economy with greater diversity in local food production and distribution o A transformed food culture with greater awareness and skills
- 22. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Strategy - Aims o Health and Well being o Land Use o Environment o Buying Food o Economy o Cultural Change
- 23. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Strategy - Objectives and Actions Sustainable Food City Action Plan
- 25. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Initiatives – Action on Food Poverty
- 26. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Initiatives – Sustainable Food City Charter
- 28. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Implementation and Impact – Food for Life
- 30. @EdibleEdin www.edible-edinburgh.org.uk Thank You http://www.edible-edinburgh.org/ Follow us on Twitter @EdibleEdin
Editor's Notes
- Delighted to share the work we are doing in Scotland’s capital through the EE initiative
- Let me start by telling you a little about Edinburgh – it’s a European centre of commerce, culture and knowledge.
- It’s population stands at 487,500 - growing by 1% each year....
- ...and it has a powerful economy, predicted to grow by an average of 2.6% a year to 2030 making it the most prosperous and productive city in the UK outside of London.
- It boasts the highest percentage of professionals in the UK, employment levels are high and there is a strong social economy, BUT despite scoring consistently high in studies of wellbeing and quality of life, Edinburgh, like many other modern cities, is also home to a paradox.
- Edinburgh shows little deviation from wider Scottish national trends in having one of the worst health records in Europe. Over half the city’s residents are either overweight or obese, and less than a third of all residents eat the recommended 5 fruits and vegetables per day
- Food poverty is rapidly increasing .... and yet, at the same time, food waste accounts for one third of all household waste in our city ! Britain wastes more food than any other country in Europe with 13 lbs of food being thrown away every week by UK households. In economic terms, this amounts to £480 of food being wasted every year per household.
- Our city food economy further underlines the food paradox in Edinburgh. The Scottish Government has designated 2015 as ‘The Year of Food and Drink’ to celebrate the continued success of this as the largest economic growth sector in Scotland. But this success is not reflected in our city economy with less than 5% of our workforce employed in manufacturing and primary industries such as farming.
- Alongside these social and economic challenges, the Scottish Government has set an ambitious climate change emissions reduction target of 80% by 2050 with an interim target of 42% by 2020. Now - studies estimate that our food system account for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint - so it would seem straightforward that if we address our food systems, we address a huge source of problematic emissions and a wider range of socio-economic challenges. So what is being done?
- At a national level, the Scottish Government is investing in implementation of the national food and drink policy. The community food sector in Edinburgh includes healthy eating projects, community shops and cafes, community gardens and allotments and the provision of emergency food aid and community meals. Individually and collectively these initiatives have made a real difference to people’s lives, but few address the sustainability of our food system in a comprehensive way.
- So, with such inherent contradictions in our social, economic and environmental systems, it has become clear that if Edinburgh wants to develop as a smart city, it needs to develop as a sustainable food city. Our response to date has involved 2 key approaches - Public sector leadership with a focus on procurement, and Working in Partnership at city level, across all sectors
- Public Sector leadership and procurement In 2012, the city’s three largest public sector organisations – National Health Service (NHS) Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and the University of Edinburgh - agreed to work together in response to the challenge of public sector leadership.
- With the support of the Soil Association Scotland, the three organisations formed the Edinburgh Food for Life Partnership (EFFLP), and along with the Scottish Government, funded a 3 year pilot to address change. The project has four key aims to - - Identify and tackle barriers to providing increased levels of seasonal, fresh, local, higher welfare and organic food within public sector catering. - Achieve the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark in selected sites. - Engage children and young people, parents, patients, students and staff to increase knowledge of where their food comes from. - Evaluate the measurable impacts of the changes made.
- At the heart of the Food for Life pilot project is The FFL Catering Mark framework, an independent certification scheme which rewards caterers for producing healthy and sustainable menus. The Catering Mark has three tiers . Entry level is Bronze Standard which involves a set of fixed criteria as show here…. and a points-based system for the Silver and Gold Standards which address - Ethical sourcing Supporting local producers , and Making healthy eating easy The Edinburgh Food for Life partnership established public sector leadership for sustainable food. But other sectors were keen to progress wider, city level action.... No undesirable additives and hydrogenated fats At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared All meat is from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards Eggs are from cage-free hens (free range from 2015) Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted Catering staff are supported with skills training and are engaged in food education No GM ingredients [ Scottish Government announce in Aug, intent to take advantage of new EU rules allowing countries to opt out of growing EU-authorised GM crops]. No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list Information is on display about food provenance All suppliers meet appropriate food safety standards Caterers in schools, early years and residential settings meet nutrition standards/guidelines
- Our next step was to build Partnership! Over the course of 2012, a series of events were held to establish support, commitment and opportunities for developing a sustainable food city agenda. This culminated in a stakeholder consultation event in December 2012 from which the Edible Edinburgh, cross-sector steering group emerged – these are some of the founding members.
- The group agreed to work towards the day where we could comfortably say that – ‘Edinburgh is a city where good food is available and accessible for all, making for healthy people, thriving communities and a sustainable environment.’ (Edible Edinburgh, 2014) The group understood the importance of incorporating good food policies into our city’s governance systems. To achieve this we drafted a Sustainable Food City plan outlining our aspirations and organised a public consultation to engage as many people as possible with the agenda – by offering a ‘free lunch’!
- Edinburgh hosted a Feeding the 5,000 event in October 2013. Held in the heart of the city, 5,000 people enjoyed a delicious free meal created by local celebrity chefs and community groups from ingredients that might otherwise have been thrown away.
- The day-long event involved participatory cooking sessions, educational and campaign stalls, discussion groups and family events. It highlighted the benefits of local food and issues of food waste and social responsibility.
- Attended by Members of the Scottish Parliament, the event was a huge success. Consultation responses arising from the event helped to develop the first ever Sustainable Food City plan for the City of Edinburgh.
- STRATEGY The Plan was published in July 2014. It recognised that Edinburgh is already home to a vast range of good food related activity and was therefore developed as a tool to help strengthen and expand this.
- The Plan aims to bring about 5 key outcomes…… More fresh, healthy and sustainable food eaten Fewer people living in food poverty Our natural environment and resources are protected and conserved with fewer emissions A thriving food economy with greater diversity in local food production and distribution A transformed food culture with greater awareness and skills and….
- ….and has 6 broad aims: Health and Well being - To create fair and affordable access to sustainable food, and ensure people can use it to provide a fresh, healthy and nutritious diet Land Use - To grow, produce and distribute food more locally while conserving and protecting our natural resources and environment Environment - Use our natural resources more efficiently in order to minimise our ecological footprint and reduce levels of avoidable food waste Buying Food - To develop a thriving local food economy based on public and private sector businesses procuring more sustainable food Economy - To develop a diverse independent food sector which offers a variety of high quality skills, training, and employment opportunities Cultural Change - To inspire, enable and support people to connect with food & the everyday pleasures and cultural traditions of eating, sharing and celebrating meals together.
- Objectives and actions for achieving theses are outlined in the Sustainable Food City Action Plan, with food poverty currently identified as a priority action area.
- GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS Edible Edinburgh faced an early challenge – how to make sustainable food part of a busy city agenda. Edible Edinburgh had built credibility over time through association with work on the Food for Life Partnership and delivery of Feed the 5,000. It also had an inbuilt credibility via the individuals and organisations represented on it. The group’s chair is the convenor of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport and Environment Committee, and while Edible Edinburgh remains an independent, cross-sector partnership, this helps in making links with the city’s governance systems, both directly via the Council and via the city’s Community Planning Partnership. The City of Edinburgh council has formally endorsed the Edible Edinburgh Sustainable Food City plan, further embedding legitimacy in city governance structures. The Edible Edinburgh steering group meets four times a year to assess progress and determine priorities. A part-time project officer and group members share leads on different areas of the action plan which involves wide ranging activity from policy work to networking, education and communication and project development and delivery.
- So - INITIATIVES Action on Food Poverty Edible Edinburgh initiated discussions between the elected leaders of both Edinburgh and Glasgow Councils resulting in the issue of a joint statement on food poverty in February 2015. The statement was the first of its kind and received wide media attention. It inspired and provided a model for the UK Sustainable Food Cities network to follow. The leaders of over 30 UK cities have now signed a Food Poverty Declaration calling on the UK government to take urgent action.
- Initiatives In June 2015, Edible Edinburgh launched the Sustainable Food City Charter which invites individuals and business to make a commitment towards achieving the sustainable food city vision.
- Initiatives EE also seeks to influence key policy developments, for example the Scottish Government’s ‘Becoming a Good Food Nation’ discussion document in 2014 which laid the foundations for the newly established Scottish Food Commission.
- IMPLEMENTATION/IMPACT Perhaps the most notable area of progress to date is with our longest running initiative - the Food for Life project. Achievements include – The University of Edinburgh becoming the first Scottish university to achieve the bronze FFL Catering Mark award. All City of Edinburgh Council schools have also achieved the award. The Council was the first to achieve the award for a care home in Scotland. Several major food contractors are now registered as FFL suppliers and one has obtained certification as an organic supplier. All in all, Edinburgh FFL partners now serve 3.5million award standard meals each year.
- CONCLUSION Despite the relative infancy of the Edible Edinburgh initiative, several lessons are worth sharing to date. Firstly, ‘Sustainable Food’ is an emerging area of public policy and action. There is no one-size-fits all model or framework for this . A holistic, flexible approach is required because sustainable food is about so much more than just food, spanning the breadth of social, environmental and economic agendas. It is important to ground sustainable food policy in established city governance systems and key city agendas. It is hugely helpful to have champions who make and influence decisions across a range of sectors. A clear plan is a must. It enables good management and aids communication. Having the plan adopted by the local authority and other public bodies is crucial to embedding sustainable food in organisational agendas. And finally - food is a complex issue, but a great one by which to engage people with sustainability, carbon and climate agendas. Sustainable food could be the the key to accelerating understanding and action on climate change - arguably one of the most pressing issues of our time.