The Development of a Birmingham Food Charter Presentation 17 th September 2013 Roger Harmer Garden Organic

1.Aims of a Birmingham Food Charter 2.Why do we need one? 3.How it was developed 4.The Vision 5.Priorities 6.The Birmingham Food Council 7.Looking Forward 8.Questions Issues to Cover

Aims of a Birmingham Food Charter 1.To improve the health of Birmingham’s residents 2.To strengthen Birmingham’s economy 3.To improve Birmingham’s environmental sustainability

Why do we need a Food Charter? (1) 1.Our relationship with food is dysfunctional (national data) Our diet should be 33% fruit and veg. Its 24% High fat / sugary foods should be 8% of our diet. They are 22% Starchy foods should be 33% of our diet. They are 19% Five a day consumption has fallen since The impact on obesity has been dramatic & matters National obesity in boys was 1.8% in In Birmingham now, 1 in 4 Year 6 children are obese and its rising year on year. Obesity Reduces lifespan by 3-10 years and reduces quality of life

Why do we need a Food Charter? (2) 3.The Food Industry is a key employer in the City Significant employment opportunities if we can become a national centre of excellence for the production of sustainable food – this would build on our existing food industry heritage 4.Food Waste is a Human & Environmental Disaster 15% of edible food and drink wasted in the UK. 32% of bread wasted. 400,000mt edible potatoes wasted Avoidable Food Waste causes 17mt CO2e pa - equivalent to one third of the impact of household electricity use

Why do we need a Food Charter? These are global issues

How was the Draft Food Charter Developed? Part of an International movement especially in North America and Northern Europe. Early cities to develop charters include Toronto, New York, Seattle & Malmo. The movement has recently spread to the UK. Bristol, Plymouth & Cardiff have all recently agreed charters In February 2013 Birmingham Public Health commissioned Garden Organic to develop a draft Food Charter for Birmingham We met a wide range of public, voluntary and private organisations as well as several interested individuals during the spring and summer of 2013 Amended at meeting of stakeholders: July 2013

The Vision of the Draft Food Charter Our vision is of Birmingham as a City: 1. Whose citizens have a healthy diet, which helps them to live long, happy lives 2. Which maximises the contribution of food to the City’s economy 3. Which minimises the impact of the food it eats on the local and global environment

The Draft Birmingham Food Charter’s Priorities (1) 1.Teach our school children where food comes from, how to grow & cook food and what a healthy diet is. 2.Ensure every adult Brummie can cook a healthy meal that is quick to prepare, low cost and tasty 3.Tackle the barriers to healthy eating faced by those on low incomes

The Draft Birmingham Food Charter’s Priorities (2) 4.Halt the rise of childhood obesity and then reverse it 5.Radically reduce the level of food waste from wholesalers, retailers and consumers 6.Encourage greater participation in individual and community food growing projects

The Draft Birmingham Food Charter’s Priorities (3) 7.Ensure public institutions and businesses serve healthy food to their staff and customers 8.Promote entrepreneurial engagement in the local food industry 9.Improve the local evidence base

The Birmingham Food Council A Senior Steering Group of key partners with support from a public health professional To provide leadership and co-ordination for the delivery of the priorities in the Birmingham Food Charter Publish an Annual Report on progress towards delivery of the Food Charter’s priorities Network with other similar groups across the UK

Looking Forward Opportunities & Threats: –Reorganisation of Public Health –Sustainable Food Cities Network –Rising Media Interest –Launch of the School Food Plan –Growth of Food Banks –Formal Launch of the Birmingham Food Charter

Roger Harmer Thank You! Any Questions?