Healthy Surrey:

Healthy Surrey

Surrey Food Partnership

Developing a whole system Food Strategy for Surrey, via a Food Partnership, will offer the opportunity to bring multiple stakeholders together across the county.

Summary

The ever-increasing availability of fast food, and risks to food availability and access due to climate change, as well as recent events (such as Brexit, the pandemic, war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living) have all highlighted the need to re-evaluate our food system in order to tackle health and environmental inequalities.

Developing a whole system Food Strategy for Surrey, via a Food Partnership, will offer the opportunity to bring multiple stakeholders together across the county: districts & boroughs, community groups, health partners, local food producers and businesses. Together, we will be able to develop an understanding of where good work is already happening, where more attention is needed and what a sustainable local food system would look like for Surrey.

This will strengthen our work on the Health & Wellbeing Strategy to tackling health inequalities. Addressing the challenges in our local food system will encourage our residents to live healthy lives (Health and Wellbeing Strategy Priority One) as well as removing barriers to support people in Surrey to fulfil their potential (Health and Wellbeing Strategy Priority Three).

The Food Partnership also supports achieving an environmentally sustainable local food system, that ensures access to nutritious and affordable food for all while tackling and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

National Food Strategy

The National Food Strategy was published in 2021 to highlight the urgent challenges facing our food system. As key priorities, it lists: the junk food cycle; reducing diet-related inequalities; making the best use of our land and creating a long-term shift in our culture. The events of Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine as well as the rising costs of living have all demonstrated the volatility of our food system and the necessity for change. Not only is there growing pressure on national government to address these issues, but the strategy notes the importance of local areas taking the opportunity to develop their own food strategies.

Many local authorities have already begun developing food strategies and partnerships in the last few years. You can follow the links to see examples from Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, Bristol City Council, London (Greater London Authority), and most recently Oxford County Council.

Local context in Surrey

A Whole System Approach (WSA) to obesity is being embedded across Surrey. Following the phased approach of the WSA Framework developed by Leeds Becket University, organisations such as Home Start, Stanwell Family Centre, Active Prospects, Surrey Heath Borough Council and the Looked After Children Service have developed causal maps and are working on the delivery of the actions identified as priorities following this process.

In 2022, the rise in living costs mean households face an average loss of £1,200 to their annual incomes. This will likely force many households into food poverty.

Food systems currently account for roughly 40% of total greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to biodiversity loss. The Surrey Climate Change Delivery Plan highlights that climate change is and will have a significant impact on food for Surrey.

Here we can draw out these key areas of focus where food activity across Surrey has a huge impact.

  • Diet related health and obesity
  • Food production and environment
  • Food poverty

Surrey Food Strategy timescale and delivery plan

Surrey's Whole System Food Strategy (2024-2034) has been developed to focus on three key strands: addressing food insecurity, reducing climate impact of the local food system and supporting the local population to keep a healthy weight by enhancing the accessibility and affordability of nutritious food. The strategy acknowledges the importance of having effective lifestyle and weight management services for both adults and children, as well as education and upskilling on eating well and sustainably. It also recognises the development of policy-based interventions in relation to planning, advertising and licensing as key drivers for a healthy environment and a sustainable food system.

The key priorities of the strategy are:

  • Priority 1: Food for justice
  • Priority 2: Food for wellbeing and preventing obesity
  • Priority 3: Food for a healthy weight management
  • Priority 4: Food inequalities and insecurity prevention
  • Priority 5: Food for the environment
  • Priority 6: Food for a stronger economy
  • Priority 7: Food in All policies

The strategy includes a high-level action, however more detailed implementation plan will be agreed with lead delivery partners. The overall implementation of the strategy will be overseen by the Surrey Food Partnership. The Surrey Food Partnership reports to the Prevention and the Wider Determinants of Health Board.

Through the implementation of this strategy, we aim to create a healthy place for our local population where people are supported to make healthy food choices and work together to protect the environment whilst growing the local economy through a resilient local food system.

Food system mapping

Food system mapping is a process to increase knowledge of what is happening where in our food system so we can identify any gaps and look to strengthen and establish new links between different components.

We have been working with colleagues from the University of Surrey to develop an approach to food system mapping across Surrey, to ensure we can collect relevant data to inform the strategy.

Sustainable Food Places

Sustainable Food Places is a national programme to improve food systems at a local level, led jointly by Sustain, Food Matters and the Soil Association.

We are applying for membership to join a wider network of food partnerships and access further support.