Fruit and vegetables are a particular opportunity for farmers. Prices are rising as climate change, war and economic barriers affect international supply chains. Demand is growing as people change their diets. At the same time, major urban centres are becoming aware of the need for greater food security, and are looking for a more diverse food supply, including more food from surrounding rural areas. The problem is that there are no supply chains. If farmers grow fruit and vegetables, where do they sell them?
New expanding markets: cities and communities
Cities
We're working with Lantra Wales to build connections between entrepreneurial growers in Powys and buyers in Birmingham and Cardiff. We'll develop a supply chain owned locally, to keep profits ‘near the roots’, drawing inspiration from successful examples elsewhere in the UK and in Europe.
Communities
We'll develop a local food loop in Powys, inspired by Tamar Grow Local’s “Good Food Loop”. We'll do this jointly with Bwyd Powys Food, the region’s Sustainable Food Partnership. We’re raise funds with individual communities to run projects that increase demand for locally grown food.
Bannau Acres farmer network
We’ve built a network of small agroecological farms, which is steadily growing. This is a foundation for future growth of supply and demand.