Plan for Luton to tackle issues like food poverty and obesity

A new strategic approach to food based around six key themes is being developed in Luton for 2024 to 2030, a meeting heard.

The core activities within the policy cover food governance, food poverty and diet-related ill health, catering and procurement, food economy, active food citizenship and climate.

A food strategic plan for the town builds on the Luton Food Plan (2018-2022), according to a report to the borough council’s health and wellbeing board.

“From obesity to food poverty and waste to climate change, food is at the heart of some of our greatest challenges and a vital part of the solution,” said the report.

“The Luton Food Plan presented the community with an opportunity to discuss their local food environment, with a view to influence the eating culture to support better health outcomes.

“An updated food strategic plan for 2024 to 2030 is in the process of being produced by the local authority. It shares an update on the local strategic approaches to be taken around the food system activities in Luton.

“The sustainable food places network helps people and places share challenges, explore practical solutions and develop best practice on key food areas.

“Within that work, it’s developed a framework of six key themes to provide a road map of targeted activities to best address the local food system. This framework provides us with a direction of travel.

“But we also recognise that this will need to be complemented through local debate to best “Luton-ise” these themes,” added the report. “As such, the activities outlined here in the report aren’t exhaustive.”

Food governance involves establishing a local food partnership and developing a food activity plan. Active food citizenship is inspiring and engaging the public about good food and fostering a local good food movement.

Diet related ill health is about tackling food poverty with a healthy start scheme, free school meals and a holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, as well as promoting healthy eating through locally led campaigns, advertising policy and through Total Wellbeing Luton.

Catering and procurement is based around policy and practice through LBC’s corporate food policy and identifying examples of best practice by tapping into the experience of the University of Bedfordshire, which is involved with the Food for Life scheme.

Climate includes promoting sustainable food production, along with preventing food waste and how to manage it.

This follows recommendations from the national food strategy in 2021, which advised that all local authorities “should develop food strategies with reference to national targets and in partnership with the communities they serve”, explained the report.

“A further opportunity arises through alignment with the framework for sustainable food places. This lends itself to us being primed to apply for an awards scheme, which uses the six themes as the key criteria for assessment.

“These are graded through from bronze to silver and gold. An increasing number of councils are working towards achieving these. We propose to work towards submitting our expression of interest by January 2025.”