Sustainable Food Places responds to the Food Strategy policy paper

The Sustainable Food Places(SFP) Network welcomes the UK Government setting out its high-level vision for the UK food system and the outcomes that would make that vision a reality as part of the Food Strategy process.

The policy paper, A UK government food strategy for England, considering the wider UK food system, published on 15 July 2025, sets a direction of change for the UK, highlighting ten priority outcomes for England, aligned with and in support of devolved nations’ food strategies, plans and frameworks. It follows on from SFP's recent policy briefing produced in anticipation of this government-led paper.

Vera Zakharov, Sustainable Food Places Local Action Coordinator, said:

We are pleased to see Sustainable Food Places and other locally-rooted initiatives referenced in their role contributing toward the Food Strategy’s 10 Outcomes, particularly in strengthening community skills and knowledge, enabling healthier, more diverse and sustainable supply chains, enlivening food culture and strengthening community resilience to system shocks. This announcement marks an important step towards realising our Network’s and wider food movement’s vision for a healthy, sustainable, equitable food system for all. We look forward to embedding the role of food partnerships in the Food Strategy's implementation plan.

The paper marks a significant shift towards place-based food policy, recognising the vital role local communities, cultures, and economies can play in building a healthier, fairer, and greener food system. We believe that its emphasis on local food cultures, regional supply chains, and community-led delivery can help empower food partnerships and local authorities to shape food environments to reflect the needs and opportunities within their areas. SFP welcomes this approach to ensure national food priorities are delivered through locally tailored, inclusive and resilient practices.

We are particularly encouraged that the role of place-based food partnerships and the Sustainable Food Places network are acknowledged within the 10 priority outcomes.  This is specifically in: 

• Outcome 10: where ‘people are more connected to their local food systems and have the confidence, knowledge and skills to cook and eat healthily’

In addition we recognise an implicit link with local initiatives, which are key to achieving: 

• Outcome 9: ‘UK, regional and local food cultures are celebrated and valued’, as engagement, skill-building and celebration of good food underpin SFP work to create public buy-in for a healthier and sustainable food environment.

What next?

While this is an important step in a whole-of-UK transformation of our food system, we need to turn it into action. SFP are keen to shape the implentation and help create a better connectivity between national, regional and local ways of working, with communities at the forefront of setting priorities. Building on SFP's Food Strategy Briefing, we will seek ways to work with Defra and other government departments to help make the Good Food Cycle everyone’s business. We will continue to platform examples of good practice from our network ready to be scaled and replicated, including leadership set by devolved nations through the Wales Community Food Strategy, the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022,and the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework.

Download the Sustainable Food Places briefing