Healthy sustainable food

There is a growing awareness that our food system needs to become fairer, healthier and more sustainable if we are to tackle some of today’s social, economic, environmental and public health challenges. Food insecurity among vulnerable individuals and families is growing rapidly due to increasing levels of economic hardship.

Increasing numbers of local authorities across the world are committed to developing more sustainable food systems, and many of them are signatories to the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration launched at COP26. Within the UK and Europe, there are many cities which, like Glasgow and London, are delivering on local food strategies and plans supported by networks such as the UK Sustainable Food Places Network, Sustainable Food in Urban Communities and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

Project objectives

To lead and support the development of a more coordinated and collaborative approach to improving the food system in Glasgow in terms of supporting health, equity, and sustainability.
To have a dedicated staff member to play a pivotal role in developing a city-wide collaborative Food Plan.

What is involved

Glasgow Food Policy Partnership (GFPP) was formed in 2014, bringing together key public, private and voluntary sector organisations with the objective of supporting action to create a fairer, healthier, more sustainable and resilient food system in Glasgow. It is part of the UK-wide Sustainable Food Places (SFP) network of over 90 cities and councils from around the UK working to improve the food system at a local level. The Scottish SFP network now has 14 members, and a part-time Sustainable Food City Coordinator (SFCC). Hosted by GCPH, the coordinator acts as the main liaison for both the UK and Scottish networks.

In May 2019, a Glasgow Food Summit was held which demonstrated support for, and started to shape, a City Food Plan. This built on a number of participative events which had previously taken place to discuss how Glasgow might become a sustainable food city and what practical actions could be undertaken.

The Glasgow City Food Plan was subsequently developed by a team comprising GFPP, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow Community Food Network. This team worked with over 80 stakeholders, in six working groups, to develop actions for the plan which went out to a public consultation from October to December 2020. Responses from individuals and organisations were incorporated into the final 10-year plan.

People growing salads in a large greenhouse.

Findings & outcomes

The Glasgow City Food Plan 2021-2031 was launched in June 2021.

In 2022 an annual report was published which assessed the early progress of the Food Plan. Successes of particular note were Glasgow-based projects that have attracted substantial external funding because of the integrated and collaborative approach being taken in the city (e.g. NHS-led ‘Thrive Under 5’ and the Glasgow Community Food Network-led ‘Food and Climate Action’ projects).

In 2023, the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School evaluated the progress and challenges in the two-year period since the Glasgow City Food Plan (GCFP) was launched. Through a document review, stakeholder interviews and desk-based research, the evaluation reports on the successes and barriers to actioning the plan and sets out a range of recommendations for implementation. Taking into account the recommendations from the evaluation, revision of the Food Plan was discussed with the GCFP stakeholders at a second Food Summit event in September 2023. This will result in a refreshed Food Plan with more focussed actions which reflect the progress made to date, along with the change of context for delivery; this will be published in Spring 2024.

In November 2023, Glasgow was awarded Sustainable Food Places (SFP) Silver Award recognising the success of taking a joined up, holistic approach to food and achieving significant positive change on a range of key food issues. This follows on from Glasgow’s Bronze SFP award from June 2021.

Healthy sustainable food

Overview of page

Project objectives

What is involved

Findings & outcomes

Glasgow City Food Plan - Animation

Project outputs

Publications & Documents

Glasgow City Food Plan - Year 3 Annual Report (23/24)

Glasgow City Food Plan - infographic

Good Food for All in Glasgow: an interim assessment of the Glasgow City Food Plan

Glasgow City Food Plan annual report 2021-22

Glasgow City Food Plan

GCPH and GFPP response - Food Inequality Inquiry

Towards a Sustainable Food City – Glasgow: Event Report

News

Can we fix the food system? A systems approach to food justice: Part 2

Can we fix the food system? A systems approach to food justice: Part 1

Cost-of-Living Crisis: Hungry for Change

Food in uncertain times

No such thing as a free lunch?

The rising cost of food: Not just money, but mental health too

Nordic exposure: a healthy approach to building a community

Events

Glasgow Food Summit

Glasgow City Food Plan Launch

Glasgow Food Summit

PHINS 2019 - Going large - taking a broader public health approach to food

Further resources & reading

Moving from homelessness into social housing: testing new approaches

Evaluation of Sistema Scotland

Our work