Oxfordshire wins prestigious gold award for food sustainability
Oxfordshire has been recognised nationally for its work to build a healthier, fairer and more sustainable food system, after becoming one of only seven places in the UK to win the Sustainable Food Places Gold Award.
The award celebrates places that have embedded food in local policy and taken cross-sector action to tackle environmental, social and economic food challenges.
Oxfordshire County Council has worked closely with Good Food Oxfordshire, the partnership driving sustainable food change across the county, and other partners to support this work, which aims to make healthy, affordable and sustainable food easier for everyone to access.
Good Food Oxfordshire applied for the award earlier this year, following a silver award in 2023.
Jenny Ekelund, CEO of Good Food Oxfordshire, said: “Winning the Gold Award is an incredible validation of the years spent weaving together local businesses, councils, community groups and farmers across Oxfordshire. It shows what happens when a whole county commits to working as a team.
“This achievement showcases gold-worthy sustainability work being done in all corners of Oxfordshire, from grassroots community projects and local farms to academic research and local government policy. This award belongs to everyone who has grown, served, and advocated for better food in Oxfordshire.”
Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Good food is about much more than what is on our plates. It is about supporting local producers, reducing our impact on the environment, helping communities to thrive and making it easier for everyone to access healthy, affordable food, particularly those most vulnerable to food insecurity.
“We are proud to work closely with Good Food Oxfordshire and partners across the county. Together, we are showing what can be achieved when councils, communities, businesses, farmers and the voluntary sector work towards a shared goal.”
As part of the rigorous application process, Good Food Oxfordshire highlighted two areas of exceptional achievement that set Oxfordshire apart: community-centred research through the Oxfordshire Living Lab (FEAST) project and its collaborative, solutions-led approach with Oxfordshire County Council.
Chloe Smee, Sustainable Food Places Partnership Lead and one of the Gold Award assessors, added: “Good Food Oxfordshire has shown what a mature, trusted food partnership can achieve. The care invested in building participative, cross-sector governance has been immense. That often invisible work of holding relationships together pays off when it matters most, ensuring Oxfordshire has an active, resilient network ready to respond whenever opportunities or challenges arise.”
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