That is the ambition at the heart of the new Leicestershire Local Food Cluster (LLFC), a farmer-led initiative designed to place agricultural voices at the centre of Leicestershire’s food future. Over the next three years, this new project will explore practical ways to shorten supply chains, strengthen relationships between growers and consumers, build farm resilience and support greater value retention at the farm gate.
As farmers, we sit at the foundation of the food system. We produce food, manage landscapes, support rural communities and increasingly deliver many of society’s ambitions for nature recovery, climate resilience and water quality. Yet too often, discussions about food policy and local food systems take place without sufficient involvement from the people who are actually producing the food.
The Leicestershire Local Food Cluster aims to change that.
Leicestershire is already recognised nationally as a leader in food system thinking and is now progressing towards becoming one of the first Gold Sustainable Food Places in the UK. A stronger farming voice is essential to achieving that ambition and ensuring that future food policy is grounded in the realities of food production.
At the Allerton Project, leading this initiative, we have spent more than three decades demonstrating that productive farming and environmental enhancement can work hand in hand. We have also seen the remarkable success of farmer clusters, where businesses collaborate, share ideas and collectively tackle challenges that are difficult to address alone. The LLFC will build on that model while looking beyond environmental delivery towards wider food system opportunities, market development and local supply chains.
We're proud of Leicestershire's great food story and farmers are at the heart of it. The food they produce supports local businesses, jobs and communities across the county and country. Through the Leicestershire Local Food Cluster project, we're helping farmers have a stronger voice and greater opportunities with local buyers and partners.
Person:Paul Harrison, Cabinet Member for Health at Leicestershire County Council
We're delighted to be working with the Samworth Foundation and the Allerton Project to celebrate local farming, strengthen local supply chains and help build a resilient future for the sector.
A key focus of the project will be understanding why more locally produced food does not currently find its way into local markets, schools, hospitals, public procurement contracts and other commercial opportunities. We want to identify the barriers facing farmers and growers, develop practical solutions and create new routes to market that benefit both producers and consumers.
Alongside this, participating farmers will have opportunities to connect with peers, share experiences, access workshops and discussions, explore routes to accreditation and sustainability schemes, view other parts of the food value chain, and contribute directly to shaping recommendations that can influence local food policy and practice.
Most importantly, this project will be shaped by farmers themselves.
We are looking for farmers, growers and land managers from across Leicestershire who want to help build a more resilient and profitable local food economy. Whether you already sell locally, are interested in supplying new markets, want to strengthen your business resilience or simply feel that farming needs a stronger voice in food system discussions, we want to hear from you.
How farmers can get involved
Farmers, growers and land managers from across Leicestershire can register their interest through the Leicestershire Local Food Cluster page on The Allerton Project website. The project is open to businesses across different farm types and enterprises, including those already selling directly as well as those interested in exploring new local markets, public-sector supply chains, accreditation, alternative finance or peer-to-peer learning.
There is no requirement to have previous experience of cluster working. Farmers are invited to share details of their business, their current involvement in local food supply, and why they are interested in helping shape a fairer and more resilient food economy for Leicestershire.