Welsh government commits £2m to community food strategy

The Welsh government has pledged more than £2m in 2025-26 to support local food initiatives, with funding secured through to March 2028.

The new community food strategy aims to strengthen local food systems, improve healthy eating, and create more sustainable communities across Wales.

See also: Huge opportunities for local vegetables in Welsh schools

Focusing on connecting Welsh producers with consumers, supporting community-led food projects, and ensuring healthier food is accessible to all, are key components of the strategy, which supports small-scale horticulture through grants, training, and planning policy updates to enable community growing initiatives.

Since 2022, Local Food Partnerships have expanded to cover every local authority in Wales.

These partnerships co-ordinate local food systems and tackle food poverty, improve public health, and support green growth and education.

The strategy aims to increase public sector spending on Welsh food and suppliers by at least 50% by 2030, creating new market opportunities for local producers.

It builds on existing initiatives including Food Matters Wales, Universal Primary Free School Meals, and the Food and Fun programme.

“What we eat impacts not only our physical and mental health, but also our environment, our culture, and benefits our communities,” said deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies.

“This strategy is shaped by the voices and local communities across our land and seas.”

The Welsh government is set to work with local authorities, food partnerships, schools, and community organisations to implement the strategy over the coming years.

To ensure its effective implementation, a new ministerial advisory group will be established.

“Ultimately, this will be an opportunity for stakeholders to work together to strengthen local food systems and to build back much needed diversity and resilience into our food system in a way in which supports the cultural, economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people in Wales,” said Katie Palmer, head of Food Sense Wales, which has been working to support the development of local food systems.

Industry reaction

“The FUW has long been calling for a Welsh food strategy that genuinely promotes public procurement and builds strong connections between Welsh food producers and consumers. This latest announcement is therefore a welcomed step in the right direction, but its approach must genuinely create opportunities for all Welsh agri-food sectors at scale,” said Farmers’ Union of Wales head of policy Gareth Parry. 

Mr Parry added that the local procurement of food through establishments such as schools provides an opportunity for authorities to shorten supply chains, support the high environmental and animal welfare standards Welsh farmers must adhere to, and bolsters circular economies while avoiding the implications of cheaper food imports on public health and the environment.