Local food offers a great opportunity to support vibrant town centres and countryside, but is challenged by the growth of superstores dominating our food shopping and undermining and damaging our local food networks into the future.

In mapping local food webs we hoped to measure the fantastic contributions these networks make. We achieved just that, finding great examples of local food webs helping to buck national trends of high street decline.

But we have also found that the rise of out-of-town supermarkets and insufficient leadership from Government over many years have left many local food webs under siege. Action must be taken to support them, and revitalise our high streets and local economies.

Local food webs are essential to the character and attractiveness of towns and countryside across England. With around 50p in every £1 we spend in shops spent on food, it is a tremendous opportunity for businesses, from farms to retailers of all sizes, to engage shoppers in making a difference to the quality of their local area.

Local food is a powerful way to form our own connections to the land, landscape and nature.

Take the challenge to get 30% of your food within 30 miles
Why not support local food? Many shoppers interviewed for our research were able to source around 30% of their food from within 30 miles of where they live. We are asking people across the country to try the 30:30 pledge and find out more about local food for themselves.

Take the pledge

Find out more

Our reports
From field to fork: The value of England's food webs
From field to fork: Local reports

Local food challenge
Bridget Neame tried the local food challenge - read her story:
A month of eating locally

In the news
Watch video: Local food provides hundreds of jobs and £9m trade for Faversham
Kent Messenger, 24 May 2012

Minister encourages consumers to buy British
Epolitix, 15 June 2012

BBC Food and Farming Awards
The 13th BBC Food and Farming Awards celebrate the best of British food and those companies and individuals who grow, make and supply it. Send in your nominations before midnight on 12 August 2012. The winners will be announced at this year's BBC Good Food Show in November.