Food Futures
Food Futures was a three-year national partnership project run by the Soil Association and part-funded by the National Lottery Charities Board to help develop sustainable local food economies through supporting local networks.
Skye & Lochalsh was one area out of 11 that were supported by Food Futures. Its aims included supporting and helping the local community in developing its own sustainable local food economy; to offer a holistic approach to local food production, use and distribution and to establish at least three new local food initiatives.
This was achieved by holding a series of workshops which brought people together to establish networks to develop projects that would make a difference to their local food community.
Food Futures - how did it work?
Three workshops were held to develop Food Future’s aims:
Workshop 1
The first was a launch event in Portree in 1999 which was attended by over 50 people, representing a wide range of interests. The focus of this event was a buffet lunch with demonstrated the fantastic quality of the produce available locally – this was a major driver in persuading people that there was an opportunity to develop a local food economy. A mapping exercise for all food and drink related businesses, supplier and producer, large and small produced a picture of what was currently happening. A day and a half of debate and discussion produced three action groups to work on projects:
box scheme development [link to box scheme]
producing local meat [link to meat finishing/abattoir studies]
information on integrated distribution and marketing
Download Skye & Lochalsh Food Futures Issue 1 (item 73 in reports folder)
Workshop 2
The second was held in South Skye four months later. By this stage, over 130 people were involved in Food Futures, representing a wide range of sectoral interests. The event was used to review what had worked and what hadn’t and to draw up an action plan for the next stages. New action groups were established, including one piloting a distribution service for small deliveries of local food [link to Food Link Group].
A second group was to promote local food and drink through linking various public and voluntary sector organisations [link to Food and Learning Alliance], such as the Local Learning Partnership, Highland Council Protective Services and the Health Promotion Unit of the local health board. And a third agreed to take forward plans to have a food column in the local weekly newspaper.
Download Skye & Lochalsh Food Futures Issue 2 (item 73 in reports folder)
Workshop 3
The third and final workshop was held in Portree where more than 40 participants from throughout Skye and Lochalsh took part in the event. They heard about the progress made since the conception of Food Futures and the way forward for food and drink in the area in order to promote local food for local people.
Key speakers, who brought different perspectives, included Patrick Holden of the Soil Association, Catherine Brown, food journalist and presenter, and John Clarke, Orkney Marketing Services. Each of these stressed that quality and locality were crucial in building a local food economy and demonstrated what similar initiatives had achieved elsewhere.
Download Skye & Lochalsh Food Futures Issue 3 (item 73 in reports folder)
Download Skye & Lochalsh Food Futures Issue 4 (item 73 in reports folder)
What was the result?
In setting up Food Futures, the Soil Association anticipated that there would be the following outcomes in each area
- At least 3 new local food initiatives e.g. food co-ops, farmers’ markets, box schemes etc
- Improved access to good quality, fresh food by people from disadvantaged areas and/or multi-cultural communities
- A collectively designed action plan for ongoing work
- A local food sector partnership which will continue to work together on implementing the action plan.
Food Futures made a significant difference to the food economy of Skye and Lochalsh. A local food delivery service for producers, box schemes, food education, sourcing local meat and branding were among the project's achievements and those involved in the area's food and drink industry said that improved communication had been the key to the success of Food Futures.
Education was also stressed as a key factor in promoting both better health in the community and an increased interest in local produce. In addition, an action plan and organisational framework were agreed upon, with delegates especially keen to create a forum which will be the voice of the local food sector.
Action plan
| Action needed | Aim | Lead | Action taken | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box scheme | Increase number and area coverage of local box schemes | Glendale Salads | Feature, advertorial and weekly advert in WHFP | Increased customers for existing scheme and new scheme for south Skye |
| Meat Survey | Initiate and secure funding for survey of supply and demand for local meat to hotels and restaurants | Skye Machinery Ring | Approach and secure funding from SALE and HC. Draw up brief and tender contract. | Evaluation completed to inform next steps for provision of local abattoir |
| Distribution | Run pilot for 6 weeks to establish demand for local food from hotels/restaurants | Iain Morrison/local producers | Pilot and evaluation to see if need for producer led local food distribution scheme. | Led to the establishment of a twice weekly service of the award winning Food Link Van that has increased its turnover tenfold |
| Education | Promote the benefits of local food through a series of educational events | Food & Learning Alliance | Secured funding from SCDP for mobile kitchen and promotional opportunities | Used at mother & toddler groups, food festival events etc |
| Branding | Raise awareness of the benefits of sourcing and using local food in Skye and Lochalsh | Carole Inglis (SALE) | Run series of case study/features in WHFP and use other media opportunities to highlight and promote local food. | Heightened awareness leading to featuring on Scotland’s Larder and shortlist for Thistle Awards |
Downloads
Skye & Lochalsh Food Futures – Report, December 2000 (report is item 83)
Links
Highlands & Islands Enterprise - Review of the Local Food Sector in Scotland (Feb 2004)