Community Food Co-operative Programme in Wales supported by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Rural Regeneration Unit

"In April 2004 a two-year pilot scheme to develop community food co-operatives in North and Southeast Wales commenced. The key focus of the pilot was to supply, from locally produced sources as far as possible, quality affordable fruit and vegetables to disadvantaged communities through the development of sustainable local food distribution networks. A grant from the Inequalities in Health Fund funded two Community Food Development Officers to develop a minimum of 26 sustainable food co-operatives. The pilot focused on socially disadvantaged communities. The project aimed to develop and introduce sustainable practices to improve health through collaborative action, and direct efforts at a local level linking farmers to consumers. A total of 77 food co-operatives were set up in the two-year period."

"The pilot has been evaluated by Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics and it concluded that most people buying from the co-ops were eating more fruit and vegetables. Other benefits highlighted included changes to the quality of social lives and connections to other people, perceived improvements to health and understanding of health related issues. Changes in attitudes to fruit and vegetables were reported for other beneficiaries: in families, in schools and in the community as a whole."

"In April 2006 funding was awarded to the Rural regeneration Unit for an additional two years to support, develop and extend the programme and to further develop the supply of Welsh grown horticultural produce into the food co-operatives. The Community Food Co-operative programme has gone from strength to strength and recently won a World Health Organisation award for counteracting obesity for activities in promoting fruit and vegetables, with a focus on vulnerable consumers. The programme was selected from 202 applications from 35 countries.

"Approximately 145 Community Food Co-operatives have been opened to date under this programme."

This pic of Jodie was taken in the spring when Jodie  and I were exploring London Farmer’s Markets – it was a lovely day – sunny and some really fantastic produce on the stalls.  This market is in Bethnal Green and you should see some of the really wonderful fruits and vegetables.

Any market that wishes to have a bag fabricated for their traders please contact us – we have all sorts of schemes whereby you can go thin plastic bag free – offer your traders an alternative to the ultra thin polyethylene supermarket style plastic bags.  We can provide a basic bag with your overall logo on the side that you then can provide to your traders.  Come you traders contact me – as many other associations have in the past and arrange  for your market to go bag-free.