FOI - Local Food Partnerships [Jan 2025]

Request: 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information on your local authority’s knowledge of and involvement with Local Food Partnerships:

A local food partnership (‘LFP’) is a cross-sector collaboration between local authorities, third sector organizations, businesses, and academics that works to transform local food systems by improving public health, fostering community connection, building diverse local food economies, and addressing sustainability issues. Examples of local food partnerships include ‘Bradford Sustainable Food Partnership’ and ‘Food4Fife’.

1. Does your local authority have any involvement with a local food partnership?a.      If yes, what is the name of the local food partnership?
b.      If yes, what is the nature of the involvement? E.g. does your local authority facilitate meetings, donate money or provide staff time to work on the local food partnership
c.      If no, are you looking to establish a local food partnership or cross-sector food strategy?

2. If your LA supports an LFP financially, what was the value of the financial support provided by the local authority in each of the last three financial years:
a.       2022/23
b.      2021/22
c.      2020/21

3. How many members of staff are working to support your local food partnership? Please provide:
a.      The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff working to support your local food partnership.

4. Do young people benefit from the activities of your local food partnership? For example, are they supported by projects run by the food partnership. ‘Young people’ is defined here as those under 25.
a.      Yes/no
b.      If yes, how many young people are involved?
c.      What is the nature of their involvement?

5. Are young people involved in the strategic development of the food partnership, for example through consultation, co-development or engagement activities that focus on youth voices?
a.      Yes/no
b.      If yes, how many young people are involved?
c.      What is the nature of their involvement?

Response

I can confirm that the GLA holds the information within scope of your request.

1. Does your local authority have any involvement with a local food partnership?

The GLA is not part of any local food partnerships. However, through the Food Roots programme, the GLA currently supports food partnerships in 22 London boroughs. The support provided includes grants - primarily to fund a partnership coordinator or other staff - a learning support programme, tailored mentoring and an independent evaluation.

The Mayor is advised on food priorities by the London Food Board, an advisory board made up of food sector experts, but which is not a local food partnership in the sense of the definition offered. One of the roles of the London Food Board is to advise upon implementation of the Mayor’s London Food Strategy.

The Mayor’s cross-sector food strategy, the London Food Strategy, was published in 2019.

2. If your LA supports an LFP financially, what was the value of the financial support provided by the local authority in each of the last three financial years:

Various iterations of the Food Roots programme have had the following budgets in the years below:

£200,000 in 2021-2022

£370,000 in 2022-2023

£1,240,000 in 2023-2024

£542,000 in 2024-2025

Some of this funding may have been spent in the subsequent financial year.

3. How many members of staff are working to support your local food partnership? Please provide:

Staff commitment to the Food Roots programme is around 0.9FTE. The Food Roots programme is managed by one officer, who has this as their primary role. Other staff provide occasional additional capacity as needed.

4. Do young people benefit from the activities of your local food partnership? For example, are they supported by projects run by the food partnership. ‘Young people’ is defined here as those under 25.

Some partnerships within the Food Roots programme have activities which support young people. This is not a requirement of the programme.

5. Are young people involved in the strategic development of the food partnership, for example through consultation, co-development or engagement activities that focus on youth voices?

As this is not a specific focus of Food Roots. Some grantees are being supported to embed communities' lived experience into their ways of working, via the mentoring programme.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact me, quoting the reference MGLA080125-7572.