Work across Gloucestershire to promote local, healthy, and sustainable food has been recognised with a prestigious Bronze Award from Sustainable Food Places. Gloucestershire have achieved recognition as an outstanding Sustainable Food Place just over a year after joining the national Sustainable Food Places programme. The Sustainable Food Places Award recognises and celebrates the success of places taking a joined up and holistic approach to food, and which are achieving significant positive change on a range of key food issues. This impressive achievement is a significant milestone on the county’s journey towards becoming a more sustainable food place - with steps already underway to secure Silver and Gold Award in the future.

In Gloucestershire, farmers, growers, communities, charities, caterers, businesses, universities and district and county councils, are all working together in a collective endeavour to shift the food system towards one that is better for people and better for the planet. Achieving this award means Gloucestershire have now joined the ranks of those pioneering sustainable food cities and counties, from all across the UK, who have been successfully awarded Sustainable Food Places status.

Sustainable food work in Gloucestershire is coordinated by the Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership and Feeding Gloucestershire, who, together with a team of dynamic and dedicated partners, seek to tackle some of today’s most challenging food-related issues, such as rising social and health inequalities, as well as the climate and ecological emergencies. Gloucestershire was able to demonstrate strong evidence of impact across all six Sustainable Food Places’ key issues, demonstrating what can be achieved in a rural county.

The judges were particularly impressed by the innovative work of ‘Made in Gloucestershire’ and ‘Visit Gloucestershire’ in promoting local food, the ‘GREAT Project’ and the ‘Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West’ in supporting nature-friendly farming, and the pioneering work of Feeding Gloucestershire in supporting those affected by food insecuri

“Gloucestershire are proud winners of a Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award - it is recognition of all the amazing work which takes place across Gloucestershire every day to tackle some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges. It has been hugely inspiring to spend the past year meeting the people and communities behind the projects who are committed to making Gloucestershire a healthier, fairer and more sustainable county” commented Jenny Salter, Sustainable Food Places Coordinator for Gloucestershire.

Found out more about the Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership here

Visit the Feeding Gloucestershire page here