£2m community food strategy Launched to Strengthen Local Food Systems Across Wales

Daniel Bevan - Senior Journalist

The Welsh Government has unveiled a new Community Food Strategy aimed at creating a more sustainable, healthy, and resilient food system across Wales. Backed by a £2 million investment for 2025-26 and funding secured through to 2028, the strategy is a key commitment under the Programme for Government.

Focusing on connecting local producers with consumers, the strategy will support community-led food initiatives, tackle food insecurity, and boost healthier eating—while delivering environmental and economic benefits.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who holds responsibility for Rural Affairs, said the strategy was deeply rooted in the values and needs of Welsh communities.

He said: “Food lies at the heart of all our lives. The land in Wales with its beauty and magnificence, brings many opportunities which is why our produce is some of the finest in the world.

“What we eat impacts not only our physical and mental health, but also our environment, our culture, and benefits our communities. This strategy is shaped by the voices and local communities across our land and seas.”

Since 2022, Local Food Partnerships have expanded to all 22 local authorities, playing a crucial role in coordinating local food networks to address food poverty, enhance public health, and support green growth through education and innovation.

One of the strategy’s headline goals is to increase public sector spending on Welsh food and suppliers by at least 50% by 2030, opening up new market opportunities for local producers and encouraging shorter, more sustainable supply chains.

The strategy also aligns with other key government policies, including Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales and the 2024 Child Poverty Strategy, ensuring access to healthy food becomes a core part of public health efforts. In addition, support for small-scale horticulture will be expanded through dedicated grants, training, and planning reforms to boost community food growing.

Commenting on the strategy’s launch, Katie Palmer, Head of Food Sense Wales, welcomed the coordinated approach saying: “Our vision as an organisation is to help create a food system that’s both good for people and for the planet, and we welcome the publication of the Wales Community Food Strategy.

“There is already fantastic work taking place within different organisations across the country, and we very much see this as an opportunity to build on this through a more co-ordinated and structured approach.

“Ultimately, this will be an opportunity for stakeholders to work together to strengthen local food systems and to build back much needed diversity and resilience into our food system in a way which supports the cultural, economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people in Wales.”

The Welsh Government has invested more than £26 million in local food initiatives since 2019, and this new strategy further cements a commitment to sustainable development under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Cymru Can strategy.

To oversee the delivery of the strategy, a new Ministerial Advisory Group will be established, bringing together key stakeholders from across the food, health, education and community sectors.