The Campaign to Protect Rural England is currently undertaking a Mapping Local Food Webs project in Totnes and the surrounding area.

A food web is a way of linking together farming, food producers, local food shops, farmers markets, box schemes, community supported agriculture and food cooperatives, through to consumers. The Mapping Local Food Webs project aims to increase understanding of the benefits and ultimately demand for locally produced food. This should encourage local communities to support their local food network and by doing so help to maintain thriving local businesses and support for farming and their work to protect the countryside.

A thriving local food web benefits people, places and the countryside by:

• Creating new jobs and small business
• More money spent and kept in the local economy
• Foods produced and sold locally, generating fewer food miles and less waste
• A viable living for farmers and growers managing the countryside
• Better access to fresh, healthy, affordable food
• Greater choice of where to shop and what to buy

A workshop will take place: Thursday 26th February, 2009 at 7pm at the Methodist Church, Fore Street, Totnes

The workshop will be an opportunity to express your views about local food, meet others, build connections, enjoy local refreshments, and be part of the Mapping Local Food Webs project.
Through the workshop the organisers would like to:

• Hear your views and opinions about local food and the local food network in and around Totnes.
• Establish issues around local food and the local food network that are particularly important in the area.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in the local food network, and begin to explore possibilities for action.

It is hoped that as many shopkeepers, farmers, decision makers, local people and interested parties as possible will attend.
The Mapping Local Food Webs project aims to engage the skills and knowledge of local people in order to explore the impact thatlocal foods have on local people, the local community, local businesses and the countryside. It aims to achieve a better understanding of some of the challenges facing local food networks, to build links within the community between consumers, shopkeepers, farmers and policy makers, and to create opportunities to influence local, regional and national policy and planning decisions. The workshop will be an important part of this work.
If you have any questions or require further information you can contact:
Jenny Gellatly
Regional Co-ordinator in the South West
Mapping Local Food Webs
Campaign to Protect Rural England
jennyg@cpre.org.uk
01803 864858
07833250136
Mon - Thurs
For more information you can also visit:
Mapping Local Food Webs: www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk
Transition Town Totnes: http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org