Our Challenge
Edinburgh has signed the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration to highlight the city’s commitment to tackle the climate emergency through integrated food policies and call on national governments to act. We need to act now to place food and local action at the heart of the global response to the climate emergency.
Number of days to COP26:
Individuals, businesses, communities all have a part to play and role in shaping our future food systems to ensure that everyone can access healthy food and build a sustainable “food future”.
We want to build a “food future” that is accessible for all people and builds an infrastructure and collective responsibility to tackling the challenges. A sustainable Edinburgh needs to be a city where good food is available for all, making for healthy people, thriving communities and a sustainable environment
We want to achieve:
- More fresh, healthy, sustainable food produced and enjoyed.
- Fewer people living in food poverty.
- Our natural environment and resources are protected and conserved with fewer emissions.
- A thriving economy with greater diversity in local food production and distribution.
- A transformed food culture with greater awareness and skills.
We believe that together we can make positive choices that are healthier and tastier and which bring social, economic and environmental benefits to the whole community.
Why was it set up?
In 2011, the City of Edinburgh Council published a framework for a ‘Sustainable Edinburgh 2020’ and consulted on priority issues for action. Food issues came high on the list of what people felt was important so a series of seminars were held, exploring issues ranging from community access to land for growing to concerns about food and health, food waste and food poverty.
From this, a cross sector steering group was established and Edible Edinburgh was formed. In the autumn of 2013, a public consultation was launched to ask people across the city their opinion of Edible Edinburgh’s vision. Over 400 people and organisations responded with their feedback and thoughts.
We developed our Edible Edinburgh Sustainable Food City Plan based on what Edinburgh had to say, and we’ve been working together to improve Edinburgh’s food ever since!
How we work
Our partnership meets every two months to share ideas, progress and review what to do next. Members of the group connect widely across the food sector in our city to help make things happen. The partnership coordinator and other group members get involved in policy work, acting as a representative voice for the local and community food sector as well as for good public food.
The partnership’s working groups focus on specific food issues, such as health, food waste, food growing and the local economy. Take a look at our current work map for a sense of what we’re up to. We are always open to ideas and suggestions – please feel free to get in touch!