Wells Food Network promotes food that is good for people and good for the environment. Our aim is to increase the availability of healthy, sustainable, locally sourced and affordable food for everyone in Wells and its surrounding towns, villages and countryside.
As part of achieving that ambition, we have joined the fast-growing Sustainable Food Cities network. This is a network of 45 cities and places - including Bristol and Bath & Northeast Somerset - that are taking a joined up approach to tackling some of the social, environmental, economic and health challenges facing us today. |
Our core beliefFood and farming have always been an important part of the life of Wells and its surrounding towns and countryside. Farming has shaped the landscape of the Somerset Levels and Mendip Hills for centuries, and today the wide range of producers, markets and businesses involved in food play an important role in the local economy.
Food and farming under pressure Yet our food and farming system is under pressure as never before. Too many people cannot afford, or cannot access, the good food they need. Globally we face the risk of irreversible climate change, a massive biodiversity crash, increasingly degraded soils and farmers under huge financial pressure. A growing health crisis At the same time, we are witnessing a growing human health crisis, both from increased levels of antibiotic resistance (caused partly by their use in farming) and from the huge increase in serious health conditions such as diabetes and obesity that are related to lifestyle and diet. Food is the solution A common denominator of these challenges is food. And yet, while food is a key ingredient in all these challenges, food – readily available, local, affordable, sustainably produced food – coupled with healthy diets, is also a vital part of the solution. |
The challenges facing us
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Finding a solution
We believe these challenges can only be addressed by putting sustainable food at the heart of all we do. This approach offers a positive way to:
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Picture credits, clockwise from top: View over the Levels, by Nelo Hotsuma; Harvest vegetables, by Steven DePolo; Lettuce heart by Mason Masteka;
Bowl of tomatoes by Susy Morris; Wells Farmers' Market, by Susie Weldon
Bowl of tomatoes by Susy Morris; Wells Farmers' Market, by Susie Weldon