By Izzy Bland

Local food partnership, the Acorn Food Network, has won a prestigious Sustainable Food Places Bronze award. Their success in promoting healthy, local and sustainable food in the Derry City/Strabane council area has led to their recognition for the award.

The Sustainable Food Places programme is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund.

It supports places to transform food culture by highlighting some of today’s toughest social challenges, such as food poverty, diet related ill-health and unaffordable food. They also focus on the loss of independent food retailers and family farms.

Sustainable Food Place Coordinator with Derry City and Strabane Council, Allan Bogle, has received this award with gratitude. He showed his support for the Acorn Food Network:

“There are few things in life that bring us together quite like food. The Acorn Food Network aims to grow a sustainable local food system that is good for people, good for the economy and good for the planet; built around fresh, local, seasonal and affordable food.”

Tackling the climate and nature emergency through sustainable food and farming, and ending food waste is crucial for The Sustainable Food Places programme.

Leon Ballin, the programme manager, congratulated The Acorn Food Network and those who helped work with this partnership, and is hopeful for the future. He said:

“While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, The Acorn Food Network has helped to set a benchmark for other members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow.

“We look forward to working with them over the months and years ahead to continue to transform Derry City and Strabane’s food culture and food system for the better.”

For more information about Sustainable Food Places, visit https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/.