User:Ande7863/sustain/Eat Somerset

Taking steps towards sustainable, local food chains in south-west England

From June 2006 to March 2009 Sustain is coordinating a food chain project in south west England. The project aims to increase trading between producer groups in and around Somerset and independent food retailers in the county, and create new markets in Bristol and Bath.

Aims
The project aims to offer local food and drink producers in and around Somerset the opportunity to develop trading links with: regional retail groups within membership of the Association of Convenience Stores; and new markets in the regional urban centres of Bristol and Bath, including retailers, street markets and public sector food providers

Activities
The project will fulfill this aim by: Identifying food and drink producers who wish to develop their businesses through new trading contracts; Providing training and support to those producers to enable them to meet the quality standards and reliability criteria that retail contracts require; Facilitating trading links between the producers and the new market outlets in both urban and rural areas; Supporting purchasing, distribution and in-store promotion of sustainably produced local food through the convenience store network; Evaluating the results of the project to demonstrate both economic gain to the producers and the community, and environmental benefits in the wider region; and Promoting the lessons learned from the project through a variety of mechanisms including a national conference, a web-site, grocery trade media and a multi stakeholder advisory group.

Result
The project will: Provide support for 15 supplier businesses and increase their turnover; Increase the proportion of sustainably produced local food in 6 participating shops and one symbol group; Help provide support for producers and retailers motivated by sustainability issues in areas where there is currently little or no brokerage support; Increase local food in public sector catering; and Help develop a commercially viable supply chain for good quality, ‘green’ local food.