Mapping Local Food Webs

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.

CPRE's 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

The project forms part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery from 2007-2012.  The project is led by CPRE with the support of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. 

In the East Midlands food web mapping projects were carrried out in 3 areas: