Festival celebrates food that is good for farmers, consumers and the planet
2,500 people take part in a week-long celebration of food that is good for us, good for the planet and good for our future.
Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC (CSF) is the lead organisation for the city’s food partnership, which is aiming for a Gold Award from Sustainable Food Places by 2024. This Autumn, they ran their first ever Food for the Planet festival, and it was a huge success.
From the 15th until the 22nd October, Cambridge residents took part in over 30 events showcasing sustainable, local, seasonal and climate-friendly food. The Food for the Planet Festival asks everyone to consider what goes on their plates and to explore what they can do to make a difference. Individuals can make a pledge through the Climate Charter developed by Cambridge Carbon Footprint and Cambridge City Council.
Featuring community growing events, film screenings, apple pressing, a green Pecha Kucha (a presentation or stroytelling format), cookery workshops, stalls, Disco Soup and more, plus climate-friendly specials and discounts from local food businesses, there was something for everyone.
17 local businesses and schools joined the fun by offering special climate menus for the events, with many also providing discounts throughout week.
The Healthy Soil-Healthy Food event, convened by Carbon Neutral Cambridge and the makers of Six Inches of Soil, presented short films and discussions featuring farmers and growers from Cambridgeshire who are working to regenerate their soil and capture carbon.
Sam Dyer, Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC, says:
“The food system causes a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the number one driver of biodiversity loss. We invite residents, local businesses, schools, charities, community groups and organisations to take collective action and make simple changes to the food that we put on our plates. Together we can create real change and play our part in tackling climate change.”
Supported by Cambridge City Council, Sustain and Sustainable Food Places, the festival is part of the #GoldFoodCambridge campaign to encourage everyone in Cambridge to help co-create a local food system that’s healthy, climate-friendly and fair for all.
Find out more about Food for the Planet.
Sign up to take your own action.
Published Thursday 24 November 2022
Food for the Planet: Food for the Planet is helping local authorities, businesses and organisations take simple actions to tackle the climate and nature emergency through food.
