Food

Actions you can take for a healthy diet which also reduces carbon emissions:

Aim to be food waste free
Eat more plant-based foods
Eat less, but buy better quality local meat and dairy
Buy local, seasonal and organic produce
Support farmers markets and local box schemes
Use local independent retailers
Choose Fairtrade-certified products
Select fish only from sustainable sources
Eat a healthy balanced diet and less processed food
Grow your own or join a community garden or food Co-op

What is the carbon footprint of your diet?

Use the Centre for Alternative Technology’s online interactive tool: Laura’s Larder. Input your daily meals and it will calculate the impact of your diet on the climate and suggest some lower carbon alternatives

Assess the sustainability of your food shop

23% of your carbon footprint comes from the products you buy at the supermarket
Impact Score® Shopping is an app you can use when shopping or at home to scan the barcodes on food products and find out how ethical and sustainable they are. It will tell you if they have a low, medium of high carbon footprint. It will also suggest ‘more sustainable’ alternatives for products.

Grow your own food

Grow your own food – reduce the carbon miles of your meals

Find out more about having an allotment at All About Allotments
Apply to your local council for an allotment: www.gov.uk/apply-allotment
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF): volunteer with organic farmers and growers in Shropshire and beyond to gain skills and understanding about growing food in exchange for your labour.

How to get involved locally

Find out more about the expanding local food network in Shropshire

Shropshire Good Food Partnership works with different stakeholders across Shropshire to:

provide individuals and groups with support to set up and manage community-based food growing, cooking and sharing initiatives
support land-based enterprises and food businesses with innovation and create opportunities to access local markets and develop the local food economy
bring together stakeholders including Local Government to engage on policy and planning and deliver goods and services
Working groups include: Grow Local, Sustainable Food Economy, Wise Land Stewardship, Nature Connection, Reducing Food Waste, Healthy Food For All
Contact for more information: hello@shropshiregoodfood.org

Slow Food Ludlow Marches organises events such as themed meals, tastings, producer visits, markets, talks and demonstrations. The group describes its aim as “supporting local, small scale, sustainable food production” and has recently had a particular emphasis on supporting and preserving local endangered foods.

The Slow Food Movement is a global, grassroots movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Join campaigns for more sustainable agriculture

Join campaigns for more sustainable agriculture:

The Soil Association campaigns for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use
The Sustainable Food Trust explores solutions for a food and farming production system that causes the least possible harm to humans and the planet