Eating a balanced diet
A growing body of research shows direct links between what we eat, our health, and how we feel. MIND, the mental health charity, has produced a useful guide to mood and food. For more information visit the Mind website For general information on food contact the Eat Well Website of the Food Standards Agency. Information is also avialable on the work of local food cooperatives to provide fresh locally grown food, see below.
Community Food Co-operatives
Summary
The Community Food Co-operative Programme in Wales provides quality, affordable fruit and vegetables to communities through sustainable local food distribution networks.
The food co-ops work by linking local volunteers, who run the food co-ops, to a local supplier, who is a grower and/or local wholesaler. A simple payment and delivery system is agreed which enables the volunteers to order and pay weekly in advance for the fruit and vegetable bags. Customers collect their fruit and vegetables at an agreed venue during food co-op opening times and place their orders and pay for the following week.
History
A partnership was formed between the Welsh Assembly Government and the Rural Regeneration Unit and in April 2004 a two-year pilot scheme to develop community food co-operatives in North and South Wales commenced. The pilot area covered a diversity of rural and urban areas including South Wales Valleys.
The pilot has been evaluated by Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics and the North East Wales Institute and it concluded that most people buying from the co-ops were eating more fruit and vegetables. Other benefits highlighted included changes to the quality of social lives and connections to other people, perceived improvements to health and understanding of health related issues. Changes in attitudes to fruit and vegetables were reported for other beneficiaries: in families, in schools and in the community as a whole.
In April 2006 further funding was approved to support, develop and extend the programme and to further develop the supply of Welsh grown horticultural produce into the food co-operatives. In April 2007 the programme was expanded to give an all Wales coverage.
Current programme 2008-2011
The Community Food Co-operative Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Health and Social Care and Rural Affairs’ Departments and delivered through a grant to the Rural Regeneration Unit.
The programme supports the Welsh Assembly Government’s local sourcing action plan and encourages the reduction of food miles and more sustainable practices. It supports local growing / purchasing of fruit and vegetables where possible and creates greater links between urban and rural areas.
The programme has gone from strength to strength, with over 220 community food co-operatives set up to date, providing fruit and vegetables to approximately 6500 families and engaging around 1400 volunteers. The programme sells around 11,000 bags of fruit and vegetables per week at £3 a bag; an average of 60 bags per food co-op. An average bag of fruit, vegetables or salad can feed a family of 4 people. Currently 6 growers, 20 retailers, 16 wholesalers and 1 social enterprise supply the food co-operatives. The retailers and wholesalers are selected on the basis that they provide as much local produce as possible. One of the growers supplies more than 30 of the co-operatives in North Wales.
Awards
WHO Counteracting Obesity
In November 2006 the Community Food Co-operative programme won a World Health Organization award for counteracting obesity for activities in promoting fruit and vegetables, with a focus on vulnerable consumers. The programme was selected from 202 applications from 35 countries. It was later presented as an example of good practice at a World Health Organization conference on community initiatives for increasing healthy eating and physical activity.
Welsh Rural Sparks Champion
In April 2009 the programme won a Carnegie UK Trust Rural Sparks award. The awards are for rural champions who have made a real difference in the areas where they live. There are five top Rural Sparks from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and 10 runners up. The winning programmes and projects were selected on the basis of innovation, sustainability and transferability. The Carnegie UK Trust is one of the UK’s leading independent not for profit foundations.
Web Sites
http://www.rru.org.uk
http://www.physicalactivityandnutritionwales.org.uk/page.cfm?orgid=740&pid=29570 (English)
http://www.gweithgareddcorfforolamaethcymru.org.uk/w-page.cfm?orgid=740&pid=29753 (Welsh)