Sustainable Farming and Food
The Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food (SSFF) is a
national policy that responds to the recommendations from the
Policy Commission for Farming and Food, chaired by Sir Don
Curry. Each Government Office, in partnership with the
regional development agency, has been charged with developing a
regional delivery plan. A Northwest Regional Delivery Plan was
drafted in 2003. It was based on four key themes:
- More Effective Food Chain
- Healthy Communities
- Managing the Environment
- Investing in the Future
These themes cover the basic principles of all ten national work
streams (with the exception of animal health) and reflect regional
needs and priorities. Financial issues and global context
underpin all four themes and are directly supported through county
rural regeneration initiatives, such as Farming Connect and the
Lancashire Rural Partnership.
Funding to support the strategy has been approved for a number
of projects for each theme. The most recent quarterly report
submitted to the management group summarises the breadth of
activity currently taking place in the Northwest. For further
information on national SSFF activity and work streams, please
refer to the Department for Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra).
In terms of governance, the role of the private sector is
critical to the success of SSFF in the Northwest. Each of the
theme groups is represented by a theme champion, which is a
private organisation or individual. The management group, jointly
chaired by NWDA and the Government Office for the Northwest (GONW),
is deliberately quite small and focused, with all four theme
champions represented.
With respect to the fit with the Modernising Rural Delivery
(MRD) agenda, all partners are involved in this process at a
regional level and are members of the Northwest Rural Affairs
Forum. As with SSFF, MRD is being co-ordinated by GONW, NWDA and
the Rural Development Service and therefore there are clear
linkages.
At both a local and regional level, SSFF activity is being
delivered in partnership with a number of national bodies that are
instrumental in its delivery across the UK.
Two examples are:
- English Food and Farming Partnership
(EFFP)
The Northwest is supported by a regional northern advisor to
support the development of collaboration and Farmer Controlled
Business (FCB) activity in the Northwest. More local delivery
initiatives are currently being investigated, including funding
from the sub-regional partnerships to finance a Northwest
Collaborative Advisory Service.
- Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF)
Benchmarking is being supported by the NWDA through the Northwest
Food Alliance and its 'More Effective Food Chain' activities.