Four places join growing UK movement for food resilience and place based food system change.

Four places across the UK have been awarded the ‘prestigious’ Sustainable Food Places award, recognising their commitment to creating a healthier and resilient place based food system. Camden and West Northamptonshire have achieved Bronze, while Cumberland and Devon have achieved Silver. 

In 2026, Sustainable Food Places has also awarded our first FAIR food Star to the London Borough of Camden, who have evidenced that their cross-system food work embeds representation and inclusion to ensure that every community in the borough is involved in building a more just food system. 

The Sustainable Food Places awards reflect our national, evidence-based programme that recognises and celebrates places taking a strategic, joined-up approach to food. The award acknowledges the collective efforts of local authorities, businesses, community organisations and residents working together to tackle some of today’s most pressing social, environmental and economic challenges. 

For Bronze, Sustainable Food Places members need to evidence that they are operating participatory governance structures that ensure cross-sector collaboration and have mapped and engaged with the food system through their partnership.  It sets a foundation for place-based food system transformation.  At Bronze, food partnerships will have a food strategy and ensure representation of their diverse population within it. 

At Silver, members need to evidence their food partnership is adding value to food activity across their place, by connecting actors together to build solutions to complex food system challenges.  A Silver level food partnership will have a longer-term food strategy in place, which ensures accountabilities and evidence building for food system change. 

From improving access to healthy food and supporting local producers to reducing food insecurity and strengthening community food connections, these places are taking a citizen-led approach to good food for all. 

This recognition comes amid ongoing cost-of-living challenges and food security warnings after shocks like extreme weather and wars have placed pressure on our just-in-time food system. 

Research from Sustainable Food Places Civil Food Resilience report shows that food partnerships across the UK are already developing long-term solutions to strengthen local food security. This includes rebuilding local and regional food infrastructure, strengthening local production and distribution, mapping community assets and identifying policy levers needed to improve resilience. 

By investing in these approaches, these places are not only promoting and enhancing access to healthier and sustainable food but also helping to ensure that their local community is better equipped to withstand future challenges. 

Chloe Smee, Sustainable Food Places Programme Manager, said: “These places have shown just what can be achieved when creative and committed people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live. While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, these areas have helped to set a benchmark for other members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow. They truly deserve their prestigious Bronze and Silver awards, and we look forward to working with them over the months and years ahead to continue to transform their food culture and food system for the better.”