Public asked to get behind Cardiff sustainable food project

A new campaign hopes to set Cardiff on the path to becoming one of the UK’s most sustainable food places.

Food Cardiff, a city-wide partnership of more than 200 individuals and organisations – is asking people from all walks of life to ‘make a pledge’ and take action, to help Cardiff achieve Gold Sustainable Food Places status by the year 2024

.It is hoped that the pledges will empower Cardiffians to create a thriving local food economy, where everyone has access to food that is both healthy, and environmentally sustainable.

A Sustainable Food Place

Last year, Cardiff was awarded Silver Sustainable Food Places status – becoming the first place in Wales (and one of only six places in the UK) to achieve the prestigious accolade; the scheme is based on bronze, silver and gold achievements across six key sustainable food issues.

Independent businesses, cooperatives, third-sector organisations, and major institutions (such as Cardiff Council and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board) now want to see Cardiff strive for the gold standard, to become one of the UK’s most sustainable food places.

In support, they feature in a series of films which highlight some of the pledges in action; the first looks at the benefit of shopping and eating with sustainability in mind. Further case study videos will highlight the ways that people can pledge to make Cardiff’s food scene healthier, more connected, more empowered, and more locally-focussed.

The campaign to make Cardiff a more sustainable food city is being coordinated by Food Cardiff, the city’s rapidly growing food partnership which has evolved into a dynamic and inclusive city-wide network.

Food Cardiff’s Sustainable Food Places Coordinator Pearl Costello explained,

“Food Cardiff believes that the food we eat has a huge impact on life in Cardiff – not just on people’s health, but on communities and businesses, farmers and food producers, and the environment too. Good food creates strong, healthy, resilient communities which thrive. We are so excited to launch this campaign to give every single person – and organisation – in Cardiff a chance to make a pledge – or a few – and help Cardiff to become one of the most sustainable cities in the UK.”

Food Cardiff is part of Food Sense Wales, which aims to influence how food is produced and consumed in Wales, ensuring that sustainable food, farming and fisheries are at the heart of a just, connected and prosperous food system.

The Food Cardiff strategy board also includes ten volunteer members from a range of organisations including Cardiff Council, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Riverside Farmers’ Markets, Public Health Wales, Action in Caerau and Ely as well as many others.

Through this network, Food Cardiff is driving change at a city level and is working to tackle some of today’s biggest social, economic and environmental issues.

A Thriving Local Food Economy

Cardiff Salad Garden is a local not-for-profit social enterprise getting behind the food project. Set in a historic walled garden in Bute Park, the salad garden combines growing and selling fresh-cut salad leaves with working with disadvantaged people, refugees and asylum seekers. Leaves from Cardiff Salad Garden are sold to independent restaurants and food businesses all over the city and delivered sustainably, by bicycle.

The Lazy Leek is a small independent food business based in Pontcanna, best known for their delicious plant-based burgers. Lazy Leek founder Sam Speller has sourced from Cardiff Salad Garden for years and is keen to highlight the way that local connections are strengthened when people support independent businesses.

He said, “We have been to see Cardiff Salad Garden, it’s just down the road; they grow the salad with such care, and it tastes incredible because of that. We love buying from them, because we’re supporting another local business and all of the great work that they do. But we also want our customers to feel part of something positive – knowing that spending money with us means supporting businesses like Cardiff Salad Garden, too.”

Find out more about the project and ‘make a pledge’ here.