Birmingham City Council: Food System Strategy 2022-2030

The Birmingham Food System Strategy is the city’s ambitious eight-year approach to creating a bold, sustainable, healthy and thriving food system.


The initiative

Birmingham's Food System Strategy is the outcome of three years of collaboration with partners and citizens. The key aim has been to create a whole system strategy that sets out what they need to do to transform the city’s food system, and ensure it supports all its citizens, organisations and businesses.

A whole system approach means they are considering all the different elements involved with food, including food sourcing, farming, logistics, education and skills, how we buy food, cost of and availability of food, food businesses and the economy, food waste and much more. It also means considering the role of different people, organisations and businesses involved in each part of the system, and the impact that the food system has on them.

Their eight-year journey delivering the Birmingham Food System Strategy will be underpinned by four key aims:

  • Aim 1: Grow the Birmingham Food Revolution
  • Aim 2: Build a sustainable, ethical and nutritious food system and a thriving local economy
  • Aim 3: Build stronger resilient communities that support those who most need it, and mitigate food insecurity
  • Aim 4: Empower citizens to consume a sustainable, ethical, healthy and nutritious diet

The strategy is owned by the city and is driven by every citizen, organisation, and business in Birmingham collectively levering change, innovation, and development to create a future food system that every citizen is proud to be part of.

Partners who have contributed include:

  • A Healthy City Food Forum with stakeholders from across the city
  • Food Poverty Core Group
  • Food Justice Network
  • Third sector organisations
  • Schools and nurseries
  • Universities and academics
  • Food producers and distributors
  • Caterers
  • Food businesses
  • Dieticians

Resources