Food Resilience Programme

Our aim is to increase the amount of locally produced affordable food in the borough.

Locally produced food is better for the environment and the local economy and can help to ensure a more resilient food supply that is not affected by global factors, such as drought or wars.

A resilient food supply can also offer opportunities for long-term solutions to food poverty, such as community orchards and allotment schemes.

In January 2022, the Torfaen Sustainable Food Partnership was established and agreed a Food Charter, which set out its Good Food Aims focused on health, community, education jobs and future. 

The partnership includes Torfaen Council, Torfaen Voluntary Association, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Bron Afon Housing, Tasty Not Wasty, Trussell Trust, FairShare Cymru and Zero Wales Torfaen. 

Over the next two years, the £1.2m Food Resilience Programme will help to achieve the partnership’s aims by:

• Hosting an annual Torfaen Food Summit event.
• Providing Community Food Scheme grants for third sector groups and schools to develop sustainable solutions to food poverty.
• Providing grants to local businesses to enable them to add value to existing produce or diversify.
• Create a community food distribution centre to reduce food waste, redistribute surplus food and increase the market for local food sales.   

In April 2023, Torfaen was granted Sustainable Food Place status, thanks to the Torfaen Food Partnership’s work.

The Food Resilience Programme is funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Welsh Government.

For more information about the programme and grants, please contact Food4Growth@torfaen.gov.uk