RSF: Devon Sustainable Food Networks

The Research Support Funding scheme supported 13 short (six-month) projects that complemented and extended the Centre’s research themes: Transforming Institutions, Transforming Engagement, Transforming Health across the life course and Transforming Relations.

Devon sustainable food networks: mapping partnerships to enhance sustainable food cultures

This project is based on insider, practitioner and academic knowledge of the challenges sustainable food cities face, as well as understanding the potential for bringing together seemingly conflicting food agendas; those focused on food poverty, diet-related ill health and boosting local and sustainable food cultures. We aim to build capacity in Devon sustainable food networks by mapping food programmes in the city regions of Exeter and Plymouth, and the rural South Hams, to transform partners’ programmes by identifying and categorising existing activities to transform responses to food poverty, public health issues, sustainable ‘food work’ and research in the region. The project partners will collaborate to identify opportunities to streamline often competing public health/food poverty/local food agendas, enhancing health, environmental and food cultures across Devon and set strategic visions/agendas in food network research.

Project updates

17th December 2020

Following the symposium of 2019, the final report is now available for reading.

29th November 2019

Rebecca Sandover was an expert witness in the Devon Net Zero Taskforce’s hearings to gather evidence towards creating a Devon Carbon Plan. Rebecca focussed on measures to bring more, affordable local food to local markets and local food procurement, drawing on evidence from her recent research, including this project.

Read more here

Thursday 17th October

The partners held a symposium to set out some of the initial findings of this research and explore the challenges and opportunities for Devon Sustainable Food Networks.

Project Partners

Rebecca Sandover
Food Plymouth
Public Health Devon
The Bioregional Learning Centre
The Sustainable Food Cities Network