Food, regeneration and social inclusion

REBECCA JONES & E IF IONA THOMAS LANE

Contents

1. Geographical perspectives

2. Social Inclusion within Food Based Regeneration

3. Food and Community Development

4. Wales Government focus on Food & Drink

5. Exemplars of current practice – building an evidence base for funding

6. Opportunities and Barriers

1. Geographical Perspectives Coastal areas – history of food sufficiency, inshore fishing heritage

Low local value added – for most fish, shellfish, meat commodities

Longer (than historically) food supply chains

Traditional food culture vs healthy local diets vs globalised multicultural diets

Upland landscapes – in demand for providing wide range of public ‘services’

Capacity for producing low intensity, low input quality foods recognised internationally

Emerging/changing/entering international markets and supply chains

Life outside EU impact on access and affordability of staple foods including fruit and vegetables

…Landscapes (of NW Wales.) AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY LANDSCAPE DESIGNATIONS

…Wales is not (just) a City Region Dispersed population of low density & low level of urbanisation

Food Deserts of Rural Wales - food access and affordability of choices

Future security of rural food systems also need to be ensured

Overlaid seasonal changes in population & food demand due to tourism – opportunities and challenges exist

Hidden poverty (also applies to energy ‘Heat or Eat Debate’) suggest Local Authority Scale profiling – change of governance approaches, ‘community first’ or not?...

Consider geographical distribution of poor nutrition/obesity/ wider ill-health data

Strong tradition of social businesses / social enterprises – can this be part of the solution?

2. Social Inclusion Literature on social inclusion is vast but there is no concluded, consensual or common definition

Hall (2009): (1) involvement in activities, (2) maintaining reciprocal relationships, and (3) a sense of belonging.

Understanding can guide decision-makers and service-providers in the design of efficient services, programs, policies (Bond et al., 2004; Verdonschot et al., 2009), and the measurement of the outcomes of such efforts (Craig et al., 2007; McConkey, 2007).

It has been urged that a shift in our understanding of social inclusion is needed so that it becomes more than a theoretical construct devoid of practical applications (Cobigo, 2012).

3. Food and Community Development Suggested Principles of Food Focused Community Development

• Affordable range of foods available all year - good local food for all

• Participation and fair share of funding emphasis and in decision-making on food development (not just urban)

• Promoting and supporting community hubs, social cafes and growing schemes across Wales

• Delivery of wide and accessible opportunities for both formal and informal food based learning for all ages

• Co-design and Bottom Up Approach e.g. food charters , • Widening access to training and upskilling?

Principles and Values based Community Development ()

Social Justice Citizenship

Equality Problem-focused

Participation Community led

Empowerment Inclusivity

Collective Action Ownership

Co-operation Democratic

Learning Access

4. Welsh Government focus on Food and Drink Development Growth sectors; Creative and Digital, Health and Social Care, Tourism and

Hospitality, Food and Drink Manufacturing

Welsh Food Strategies Food for Wales, Food From Wales 2010/2020

Food Tourism Action Plan

Towards Sustainable Growth - an Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014-2020

Private Enterprise development

Rural Development – LEADER (partnerships), RDP (£223m)

Facts: Food and Drink Wales

5. Exemplars of current practice - need to build an evidence base for funding

Food Charters – multi-sectoral commitment Gwynedd Food Charter and Riverside Food Charters

Social spaces; for exchange, communication, companionship; Porthmadog Market, Bangor Market – older population, accessible spaces , Community Caffi Maesgeirchen

Training opportunities and promoting and maintaining healthy food cultures and choices; Te a Cofi café (GISDA)- training centre for skills development within the catering industry

Intergenerational learning; Pryd a Mwy - a cross generation community lunch sharing stories attitudes and values

Access to affordable food; Cyweithfa Pesda Collective and The Real Junk Food Project

Improved food security and health benefits across generations – Moelyci ‘The Growing Space’, community growing with Mentors, Composting Dr. Network, schools, play areas

Community responsibility – Busy Bees, Porthmadog £5 for a 2 course meal for over 65s

Launched in Aug 2012…Food & Wellbeing Forum now inactive…still no Food Action Plan!

Local Markets – ‘important sites of social interaction for local communities’,. Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2006).

Pryd a Mwy - a cross generation community lunch sharing stories, memories and values

6. Food Regeneration + FWGoals Opportunities, Barriers & Approaches

Opportunities

Social Justice Healthy lifestyles

Empowerment Wellbeing

Participation Progression

Learning

Barriers

Funding Stigma

Knowledge gaps Access

Skilled professionals

Willingness

Needs

• Strategic approaches to implementation in relation to geographical and demographic needs

• Appropriate monitoring success against established and agreed criteria of Food Security and Social Inclusion

• Breaking down barriers of ‘us-and-them’ experts , community and governance

‘Joio’…a cynnal ein gilydd – Having a great time and supporting each other. (Porthmadog Local Produce Market)

References Bond, G. R., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., Rapp, C. A., & Zipple, A. M. (2004). How evidence-based practices contribute to community integration. Community Mental Health Journal, 40(6), 569–588.

Cobigo, V., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., Lysaght, R., & Martin, L. (2012). Shifting our Conceptualization of Social Inclusion. Stigma Research and Action, 2, 2, 75-84.

Craig, M., Burns, T., Fitzpatrick, R., Pinfold, V., & Priebe, S. (2007). Social exclusion and mental health: conceptual and methodological review. British Journal of Psychiatry, 191, 477–483.

McConkey, R. (2007). Variations in the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in supported living schemes and residential settings. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 207–217.

Verdonschot, M. M. L., de Witte, L. P., Reichrath, E., Buntinx, W. H. E., & Curfs, L. M. G. (2009). Impact of environmental factors on community participation of persons with an intellectual disability: A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(1), 54–64. h