Sheffield wins a Silver Sustainable Food Places award

Less than two years after achieving Bronze, Sheffield has won a prestigious Sustainable Food Places Silver award.

The award recognises what the city is doing to promote healthy, sustainable, and local food, and is a testament to the work of Sheffield’s food partnership, ShefFood, alongside everyone in the city who is taking a joined-up approach to transform Sheffield’s food system for the better.

Councillor Angela Argenzio, Chair of the Sheffield Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “Food is a fundamental part of our health and wellbeing. It provides essential nourishment, enjoyment, and important opportunities to connect with others. We want everyone in Sheffield to have access to food that tackles health inequalities, builds our local economy, and contributes positively to the environmental challenges we are facing. I am delighted we have achieved the Sustainable Food Places Silver award and congratulate everyone who is working hard to achieve better food for all in the city.”

Sustainable Food Places are a network of food partnerships from across the UK that drive innovation and best practice on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food.

More than ever in Sheffield, people are getting directly involved in improving Sheffield’s food system. In the last year alone, ShefFood signed over 70 organisations to the food partnership, welcomed thousands of people to meetings and events, and launched the Sheffield Local Food Action Plan.

This plan lays out actionable steps and policies identified through workshops with members of the public and partner organisations, involving almost one hundred organisations across Sheffield. Actions range from food policy changes at local government level, to supporting community food providers financially to deliver ‘more than just food activities’, to green projects such as increasing the quantity and productivity of edible fruit trees and orchards in Sheffield.

This comprehensive action plan will be instrumental in making a fairer, healthier, and greener food system for people in Sheffield.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield’s Silver Sustainable Places award is a great achievement. It clearly demonstrates the leadership of ShefFood and all the stakeholders in the city working hard to improve Sheffield’s food system; they all deserve this recognition.

“Achieving real change across our food system is complex and needs a collective response from all partners, sharing expertise, influence and ensuring that seldom heard voices are championed. This is also about looking beyond what people can do at an individual level and acting together to address the environmental, social, and economic determinants of our food system. This is necessary to have a significant impact, as is the need to keep a focus on addressing diet-related inequalities and unequal access to nutritious food.”

About ShefFood

ShefFood is Sheffield’s food partnership, and its coordination team helps businesses, organisations, and anchor institutions (universities, Sheffield City Council, and hospitals) organise, change, and promote the city’s food system. It brought together all the evidence of the work happening in Sheffield for the Silver Award submission.

ShefFood’s Partnership Coordinator, Rachael Treharne, said: “This award is recognition of the hard work being done by so many groups across the city to make our food system work for everyone. It puts Sheffield on the map as a place where sustainable, healthy, and delicious food is part of our identity, and it's a great opportunity to celebrate that.”

ShefFood is planning a celebratory food event in early 2024 to celebrate the Silver Award and launch the next step in improving Sheffield’s food system. To learn more and join the cause, visit the www.sheffood.org.uk or get in contact with the partnership coordination team at info@sheffood.org.uk.