I am delighted to have been chosen to champion this important agenda for Cheshire East Council.
I have been involved in various food-related charities over the years, delivering weekly meals to HIV/Aids victims (when in London) and over the last 10 years I have supported a local food bank in Nantwich, helping families in crisis. I am very enthusiastic about my local allotment and I have been involved in wellbeing initiatives such as the Growing Health Community Garden. In 2023 I attended the Cheshire East ‘Achieving net zero conference’ held at Reaseheath Agricultural College. The conference was all about supporting organisations from across the borough to plan and take action for a more sustainable future. It was very energising.
I know that food security is not just about food and tackling food
poverty, it is also about how we choose to live on a planet with
limited resources. Food requires land and water and affects
climate, biodiversity and our health.
The amount of land and water available is finite, as is the climate
impact we can tolerate, and the healthcare costs of the
malnourished (both underweight and overweight).
Whilst we can grow ever more food, ever more cheaply, the externalised costs – on environment and health – will grow too. How do we manage demand to create a sustainable, nutritious and equitable food system?
I am deeply committed to this agenda. We need to build relationships, listen to people from all walks of life. There is a lot of wisdom out there in the most unlikely places. We need to be open and to listen to find solutions to this critical issue.