Food at the Heart of Our Society - A Prospectus for Change
Overview
The Covid-19 pandemic, EU Exit and climate change challenges are making people think and talk about food as never before. Food contributes to our regional economic prosperity and can help to address many of our most significant societal challenges. From obesity to food poverty and waste, from climate change and biodiversity loss the food we produce and eat is a major factor in some of the greatest problems facing Northern Ireland. It is also a vital part of the solutions.
There is growing international acceptance of the interconnectedness between food, health and the environment. There is also an expectation that a food system should ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability and a growing interest in the concept of sustainable healthy diets.
The proposed Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework recognises this interconnectedness. It uses an innovative food systems approach to set a long term vision, high level principles and areas for strategic focus, which will seek to optimise cross departmental working on food matters to deliver Programme for Government and departmental objectives.
Why your views matter
The Framework proposes a new strategic approach for Northern Ireland. It will ensure coherence across food policies that affect all our lives and help to improve economic, environmental, health and social outcomes for Northern Ireland.
Food cuts across the policy responsibilities of a number of Northern Ireland Ministers, including Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Economy, Communities, Health, Education, Finance and Justice. Although led by DAERA, the proposed Food Strategy Framework has been developed in collaboration with the other NI Departments, the Food Standards Agency NI, Invest NI, and key stakeholders. The NI Food Strategy Framework will be a dedicated programme within the Executive’s Green Growth Strategy and Delivery Framework, which includes an inter-Ministerial Group chaired by the DAERA Minister. Each Department will continue to have responsibility for its respective departmental policy areas.
The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed in principle to the cross-departmental approach for a Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework under Green Growth.
Within DAERA, a ‘sister’ strategy on agriculture is dealing with increased productivity, environmental sustainability, improved resilience, and supply chain integration. The new agriculture strategy will be closely linked to the Food Framework through the supply chain pillar, and will sit alongside Food as a programme within the Green Growth Framework.
The purpose of this document is to consult on the vision, principles and goals of a Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework.
In short, the Framework sets a shared long term direction of travel for food policy in Northern Ireland. Subject to the outcome of this consultation exercise, it is anticipated that an agreed Framework will be published in early 2022.
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on a proposed Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework.
How to Respond
DAERA welcomes responses and comments from stakeholders on the questions outlined in this document to help develop proposals for a NI Food Strategy Framework.
When responding please provide the following information:
Your name;
Contact details (preferably e-mail); and
Organisation you represent (if applicable).
Responses outside of this survey should be sent
By e-mail to: futurefoodpolicy@daera-ni.gov.uk
By post to:
Future Food Policy Team
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
76 Dungannon Road
Cookstown BT80 9AA
Telephone: (028) 9052 4150
The closing date for responses is 19th November 2021. Please ensure your response is submitted by that date.
What happens next
Events
-
NI Food Strategy Framework Information Session (1)
From 30 Sep 2021 at 16:00 to 30 Sep 2021 at 17:00An information session providing an overview of the proposed framework.
Registration is via the attached link https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/northern-ireland-food-strategy-framework -
NI Food Strategy Framework Information Session (2)
From 5 Oct 2021 at 19:00 to 5 Oct 2021 at 20:00An information session providing an overview of the proposed framework.
Registration is via the attached link https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/northern-ireland-food-strategy-framework -
NI Food Strategy Framework Information Session (3)
From 13 Oct 2021 at 10:30 to 13 Oct 2021 at 11:30An information session providing an overview of the proposed framework.
Registration is via the attached link https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/northern-ireland-food-strategy-framework
Audiences
- All stakeholders
Interests
- Policy Development
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