Establishing the Food-Smart City Project

Adrian Morley, Food Smart City Project Manager, Universities West Midlands

Presentation for the Birmingham Sustainability Forum event ‘IMPROVING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD - THE CHALLENGE FOR BIRMINGHAM’, 17th Sept 2013

What is a Food-Smart City?

"a city or metropolitan area that

harnesses its potential to maximise the

social, economic and environmental

benefits of its food system whilst also

supporting its rural hinterland and

contributing towards global food security

and sustainability."

Aim

“To establish a collaboration between the

universities in the West Midlands that will

lead to the creation of a long-term

partnership that will provide, through

education, research and knowledge

transfer, the expertise to establish the

Food-Smart City concept as an achievable

proposition.”

Universities West Midlands

• Not-for-profit membership organisation working in support of the 12 universities in the West Midlands.

• It aims to foster collaborative solutions and strong partnerships in support of economic, social and cultural wellbeing

Collaborative Outputs

Project Phases

I) Mapping

II) Conceptual

III) Facilitation

Mapping Phase

• Map and understand the various initiatives being undertaken in the West Midlands

• Map and understand the West Midland’s ‘Food DNA’

Mapping Phase

• Birmingham Residents spend approximately £22.5 Million every week on Food & Non-alcoholic drink – excluding eating out.

• 2,885 Food Businesses registered in Birmingham, employing 117,000 people with an Annual Turnover of £7,960 billion

Conceptual Phase

• Identify and describe what a Food-Smart City should look like

• Undertake a Gap Analysis to identify differences between conventional and Food-Smart Cities

• Understand the potential for integration with other urban sustainability concepts and practices

Conceptualising a Food-Smart City

Vs

Collaborative Activities

• Public Engagement

Events

• Themed Publications

• Research Networks

• Joint Funding Bids

• Research Projects

• Education / Training

Courses

Adrian MorleyFood Smart City Project Manager

amorley@harper-adams.ac.uk

www.foodsmartcity.org

@foodsmartcity