The Executive Director (Communities and People) has submitted a report setting out the partnership work which has enabled the development of the draft Oxfordshire Food Strategy and outlining the ambitions established in Part 1 which will guide the development of the action plan in Part 2.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.          Endorse the Oxfordshire Food Strategy: Part 1, including the principles and framework for delivery;

2.          Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) in consultation with the Cabinet Member forHealth and Transport and the Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture to make any necessary amendments to the draft strategy as it goes through the County and District approvals process, with a revised document returning in the autumn;

3.          Note that Part 2 will see the development of a detailed action plan for and that this will return to Cabinet in the autumn; and

4.          Note the grant allocation proposed by the County Council to assist with the development of Part 2.

The Executive Director (Communities and People) had submitted a report setting out the partnership work which had enabled the development of the draft Oxfordshire Food Strategy and which outlined the ambitions established in Part 1 which would guide the development of the action plan in Part 2.

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Health and Transport, highlighted that the Strategy aligned with many of the Council’s corporate priorities and wider initiatives across the county.  In addition to food poverty, the Strategy also included healthy eating; addressing health inequalities; the environmental impact of food and promoting biodiversity; security of food supply; and the social role of food in communities.

A detailed action plan, to underpin the Strategy, would be brought to Cabinet later in the year.

In considering the Strategy it was highlighted that, in terms of environmental impact, the term ‘food miles’ could be misleading.  It was recommended that this should be clarified to ‘carbon footprint’ in future iterations.  Additionally, consideration should be given in the future to including reference to farming methods.  

Cabinet resolved to:

1.     Endorse the Oxfordshire Food Strategy Part 1, including the principles and framework for delivery;

2.     Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Transport and the Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture to make any necessary amendments to the draft strategy as it goes through the County and District approvals process, with a revised document returning in the autumn;

3.     Note that Part 2 will see the development of a detailed action plan and that this will return to Cabinet in the autumn;

4.     Note the grant allocation proposed by the County Council to assist with the development of Part 2.