24 Carrot Gold

Not long ago Sustainable Food Places Associate Director Tom Andrews said: “Middlesbrough’s  dynamic Food Partnership is delivering an immense breadth and depth of work to embed healthy and sustainable food, connecting all of this work right across the food system; this is fundamentally how towns and cities should work.

It really feels different in Middlesbrough.”

We are immensely proud of what we collectively have achieved, yet we are hungry for more. And we feel Middlesbrough deserves more. That is why we are aiming even higher and aim to harness the energy of partners, local businesses, schools, charities, CICs, community groups and residents to take collective action on a range of areas to create significant, positive and lasting change for a fairer and more secure and sustainable food system for everyone.

Our 24 Carrot Gold plan is summarised below under six key areas. We really want you, your family and friends and your workplace and colleagues to be involved – can you help by turning your actions into Gold?

1. Good Food Governance

Work with Middlesbrough Council, local institutions, organisations and businesses to embed healthy and sustainable food within policies and strategies. We will also work to raise the voice of grass roots/ delivery groups and organisations in decision making processes.

2. Building a Middlesbrough Good Food Movement

Creating opportunities for people to learn about healthy eating and how to grow and cook healthily. This will be done through cooking and growing skills workshops, training courses, events and campaigns.

3. Addressing food vulnerabilities and inequalities

The Middlesbrough Food Power Alliance will take a whole system approach to supporting residents and communities to have greater access to affordable and healthful food and skills, whilst also supporting the wider network that is helping to tackle issues linked with poverty.

4. Vibrant and diverse sustainable food economy

Work with partners locally and regionally to build a strong regional local food and drink movement and brand, and support our local businesses to access new markets.

5. Transforming catering and procurement

Working with Middlesbrough Council and the private sector, we will look to improve our food environment through better quality and healthier catering. This will be achieved through the Food 4 Health scheme, and through buying more from food producers in the north east region.

6. Reducing and recycling food related waste and supporting growing initiatives

We will raise awareness of food related waste and support them to reduce and recycle more through campaigns and initiatives. We will also build on existing activity to increase the amount of nature friendly food growing in the town