Survey finds resilience among diverse good food enterprises

Sustain’s Food Coops Network and London Food Link surveyed their networks of food enterprises to gather insight into how they had adapted to the lockdown and social distancing measures brought in as a result of Covid-19.  The largely qualitative questions also elicited information on the challenges those running local good food enterprises were facing.

Over 100 people completed the survey between the 6 April and 8 May 2020 with representation from a wide range of enterprises: including cafes, producers, shops, markets and buying groups.

Key findings were:

• Good Food Enterprises are open for business and have adapted to the changes
• There have been supply chain challenges
• Finances, staff safety and logistics have made things difficult
• Uncertainty, particularly income fluctuation, have made it hard to plan for the future
• Networks have helped with finding solutions

Following the survey, in which respondents suggested various ways we could help, Sustain have published information and guidance for local enterprises, worked to keep markets open during lockdown, ran a webinar on adapting to lockdown and are developing policy asks to take forward to local and national government. Those highlighted in the survey include local councils developing Good Food Retail plans and supporting access to premises and opportunities for good food enterprises to thrive.

Read the full report here

Those interested in learning more about how to rebuild as we come out of lockdown can join our free upcoming webinar: Wednesday 24 June 3 - 4.30pm: Good Food Businesses: rebuilding, reopening and retaining new customers, featuring SRA, E5 Bakery, Better Food Traders and more. 

If you are a good food enterprise looking for advice check out our online information, and customers seeking local businesses to shop from can view our listings.