Did you know that 13,000 acres of land in the South Downs belongs to the people of Brighton and Hove? The City Downland Estate was purchased by Brighton and Hove City Council in the early 19th century, and is largely made up of farmland. Brighton and Hove Food Partnership’s Land Use Plus project is working to deliver a robust local food system based within this landscape; one which creates and protects spaces for people, food growing and nature.
The majority of food produced within the City Downland Estate, and indeed the Living Coast Biosphere, is sent into the national market. This is because selling locally is very time and labour intensive for small farmers who are already short on resources. The Land Use Plus project wants to see more of this quality food on the plates of local residents, allowing farmers and citizens alike to take pride in the excellent produce found within miles of the city. At our first Food and Farming conference last year, we heard from local restaurants that they would like to source more of their ingredients locally, however there are currently not many routes to market for local goods.
We have been exploring the idea of an aggregator style wholesale food hub to overcome some of the disconnect between farm and table. The idea is this model could provide a steady sales stream for farmers and growers, whilst overcoming some of the barriers that hospitality and retail may experience when sourcing from individual producers. We have already spoken to farmers and growers, and now we want to gain a greater understanding of the commercial appetite for locally produced ingredients. You can help to develop local food systems by telling us what you think via this short survey by Tuesday 15th October.
If you’d like to reach out directly, contact Land Use Plus project manager at sophie@bhfood.org.uk
Free Event on 25th October
You can claim your free ticket to this year’s Land Use Plus Food and Farming Conference on 25th October here.
The Land Use Plus project is funded by the Esmeé Fairbairn Foundation.