Keep it local
Keep it local
The South Hams Council Plan which was adopted in 2024 committed the Council to work closely with the farming community to increase the availability of local produce (action C3.2). This commitment included the proposal to develop and implement a ‘Keep it Local’ scheme, the detail of which was to be developed over the course of the Council Delivery Plan period.
A ‘Keep it Local’ symposium was held on 10th November 2023 with the help of Sustainable South Hams, it brought together producers, distributors, software specialists and marketeers to discuss what ‘Keep it Local’ could mean.
Localising our food and distribution systems was a key theme, this could lead to shorter supply chains (and food miles), improve farm incomes and lead to more accessible, locally grown food. To explore this in more detail, a report was produced for the Council to understand in detail, the benefits of a local food economy, an analysis of arable land in South Hams, local food requirements and how that could be met through a more local supply.