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In a plenary session hosted by Professor Emeritus Tim Lang, who founded the Centre, Associate Professor Jane Battersby (University of Cape Town), Dr Jess Halliday (RUAF), Emily O'Brien (Green Party), and Sofia Parente (Sustain) discussed what can be achieved on a local and regional level.

Speakers shared case studies of successful local and regional food policy initiatives, from food partnerships in UK cities like Birmingham and Brighton to community-led procurement strategies in South Africa and Belgium. These examples showcased how place-based approaches can create resilient and adaptable food systems.

Dr Christopher Yap, from the Centre for Food Policy at City St George’s, also led a discussion around the ‘Actions for more resilient and diverse food systems: where do we go from here?’. The discussion involved Rosa Foster (Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission), Stefania Amato (C40 Cities), Anna Chworow (Nourish), and Farihah Choudhury (Southwark Council).

Key recommendations

The symposium identified several critical actions needed to strengthen food systems through local and regional governance:

1. Seek out place-specific approaches and solutions
   
   Local food policies must reflect regional challenges and opportunities.
   
   Solutions that work in one area may not be effective elsewhere and approaches must be tailored to local climate conditions, economies, and community needs.
2. Work strategically across multiple levels of public policy and governance
   
   National policies provide overarching frameworks, but local authorities and communities play a crucial role and must be empowered to act quickly.
   
   Collaboration between local, regional, and national policymakers is essential to scaling up successful initiatives.
3. Build capacity both for short-term action and long-term planning
   
   Emergency food distribution programmes are crucial during crises, but long-term strategies, such as investing in local food production and distribution networks, are essential for sustainable resilience.
   
   Horizontal networks of people both in government positions and outside of government can play a crucial role in implementing change at the local and regional level.
4. Challenge systems of oppression that marginalise groups within local food systems
   
   Food systems must be actively inclusive, ensuring that marginalised communities have a voice in decision-making.
   
   Language matters and policies should be communicated in accessible ways, avoiding technical jargon that excludes non-specialist stakeholders.
   
   Beyond language, effective and ethical engagement with a wide range of people, groups and stakeholders is essential for creating resilient food systems.

The report also includes 10 practical actions for enhancing local and regional food systems, ranging from developing local food strategies and investing in material infrastructure to empowering local and regional leaders and facilitating cross-sector collaboration.

Celebrating 30 years of excellence

Established in 1994 by Professor Emeritus Lang, the Centre for Food Policy is widely known for its impact on education, research and policy, and the event also provided an opportunity to celebrate the Centre’s 30^th birthday.

In his round-up, Dan Crossley, Executive Director of the Food Ethics Council, praised the Symposium and the breadth of the conversations throughout the day. He also said that despite the challenges posed by the broken food system, there is amazing energy in the community.

“I genuinely feel as though there's a massive groundswell of amazing things happening and it's about how we harness that and flourish collectively. There are lots of asks we can and should make of our national level politicians and governments. There's a lot that they need to do to enable all the brilliant stuff to flourish, but equally, there's a lot we can get on with in the absence of that. So my rallying call is let's go out there, put our boots on and get it done.”

Following the sessions, participants had the opportunity to talk further at the drinks reception, which featured birthday celebrations for the Centre. In an emotional speech after cutting the cake, Professor Emeritus Lang said:

“When we started the Centre, this was my dream. We wanted to contribute evidence, and we wanted it to be a place where critical friends could engage, and that’s what’s happened.”

Looking ahead

The discussions from last year’s event will continue at the City St George’s Food Policy Symposium 2025on Thursday 15 May 2025. The next symposium will build on last year’s discussions, further exploring the role of professional cookery in food systems transformation.

As food security challenges grow, the Centre for Food Policy remains committed to leading conversations that drive real-world solutions, ensuring that food systems are resilient, equitable and fit for the future.

Read the full report