Food Action Plan
The Hull Food Strategy Action Plan replaces the previous version launched in 2019 and is being developed by multi sector task and finish groups whose participants can bring insight and knowledge related to specific themes. The groups are co-chaired by representatives from different sectors across Hull, and the co-chairs will be integrated into the governance structure of Hull Food Partnership via the steering group to ensure effective, collaborative approaches to action planning and ownership of implementation of the strategy across sectors.
Implementation of the strategy will be an ongoing and iterative process, and active engagement of stakeholders across the city, including the VCSE sector, businesses, public sector organisations and communities, is key to its successful implementation.
Hull’s large anchor organisations and multi sector partnerships, including Hull Integrated Health and Care Partnership members have a key role to play in the action planning and implementation of the Action Plan.
A launch event to promote the Hull Food Strategy and initiate engagement in developing the Hull Food Action Plan took place in Autumn 2024, attracting 50+ attendees from across the public, private business and voluntary sectors. Of those attendees, 48 expressed their interest in being part of the task and finish groups which are developing and scrutinising the Action Plan.
Establishing effective and proactive task and finish groups is paramount to the success of the delivery and implementation of the Hull Food Strategy. The first part of this was scoping what groups already exist and what work is already taking place within Hull’s food system.
The Task and Finish Groups core membership is now finalised and includes senior representatives from local businesses, voluntary and community sector (including faith organisations) and public sector organisations such as Hull City Council. Members of the Task and Finish Groups are expected to be able drive action or have the ability to make sure things are escalated within their own organisation to achieve action.
A Terms of Reference was agreed, and guidance on how to develop the Action Plan across each of the six key issues was created and shared with the Task and Finish groups to give them a concrete framework around which to begin collecting evidence and sharing information on work that is already happening across the city as well as identifying where there are gaps in creating a sustainable local food system.
The Task and Finish Groups to develop the Action Plan have been established as follows:
Group 1: Strategic and collaborative approach to good food governance and action: Helping local organisations and people to work together to support sustainable and affordable food in Hull.
This small strategic group will include co-chair representation from the other five groups when it meets and forms the Hull Food Partnership Steering Group.
Group 2: Building public awareness, active food citizenship and local good food movement: Local people working together, learning, growing, and cooking and eating in an informed way, using their power to change things for the better.
This group is designed to catalyse community action around good food, with a specific focus on growing, harvesting, sharing and cooking food with residents across the city.
Group 3: Tackling food poverty and diet related ill-health and increasing access to affordable healthy food: Affordable and nourishing food – ensuring that everyone can easily get and can afford nutritious, tasty food
As the main focus of this group is access to affordable, nutritious food, it has a specific remit around alleviating food insecurity in Hull and the other issues that contribute to poverty locally.
Group 4: Creating a vibrant, prosperous and diverse sustainable food economy. Local organisations and people buy from local food businesses first, where possible.
This group focuses on supporting local businesses.
Group 5: Transforming catering and procurement and revitalising local and sustainable food supply chains. A thriving and robust local food sector from field to plate, with fairly-paid staff.
This group focuses on supply chains, procurement and skills development.
Group 6: Tackling the climate and nature emergency through sustainable food and farming and an end to food waste. All local organisations and people help to tackle climate change and benefit nature by making ethical, informed food choices.
This group focuses on waste and climate action in relation to food in Hull and will also contribute to the development of Hull City Council’s new climate strategy.