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Morse, Aimee 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5574-6040, Keech, Daniel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4112-9030, Dent, B, Simmonds, Philippa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3929-4934, Malekinezhad, Fahimeh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2774-3384 and Dwyer, Janet C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2332-9832
(2025)
Gloucestershire Food and Farming for Net Zero – Integrating local climate policies.
Project Report.
Countryside and Community Research Institute, Cheltenham.
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15468 Morse, Keech, Dent, Simmonds, Malekinezhad, Dwyer (2025) Gloucestershire Food and Farming for Net Zero - Integrating local climate policies.pdf - Published Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This report is the result of research undertaken in 2024-2025 by the Countryside and Community Research Institute, Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership and Climate Leadership Gloucestershire (CLG). It sets out how local councils in Gloucestershire, in trying to tackle the climate emergency, are already, or viably could be, supporting the transition to net zero in the agricultural and food arenas. Council officials indicate that tight budgets and limited direct influence on the climate impacts of food and agriculture constrain their ability to drive change. Yet through this work, councils recognised opportunities to facilitate change through better internal connections and external partnerships. While climate emergency policies focus on the emissions linked to council operations (for example in energy efficiency or materials recycling), an important role remains for councils to stimulate conversations and innovations about food system transformations towards net zero, to the benefit of society. Currently, the facilitative and democratic role of councils in supporting food net zero transformation is underplayed and overwhelmed by inadequate financial resource or limited direct influence to drive change. In fact, our research found that a lack of internal communication and data sharing between, for example, planners and community development officials, hinders innovation in protecting productive land for public health. Similarly, food is included in climate emergency policies, for example in support for small food enterprises through local procurement, as a way to cut supply chain emissions. Our report suggests that, at the strategic level, councils should continue food-related climate actions, and further consider their role in driving demonstrable advances in net zero innovation. Our research has led to the production of an action plan of viable and realistic actions, which was presented to CLG for feedback. The recommendations presented to CLG are a consolidation of ideas generated by council members and officers during interviews and workshops. The full plan is provided in this report’s annex. The actions CLG members chose to prioritise are: •Making stronger use of the planning system. •Supporting farmers’ transition to regenerative agriculture. •Encouraging more sustainable food and drink at council events, local festivals and other venues. •Promoting healthy, affordable, sustainable diets. •Leveraging emissions reduction via public procurement.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Agri-food sector; Net zero; Sustainable farming |
| Subjects: | S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.75 Agriculture and the environment S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.7 Agricultural ecology (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S604.5 Agricultural conservation S Agriculture > SB Plant culture > SB175 Food crops |
| Divisions: | Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute |
| Depositing User: | Nick Lewis |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Oct 2025 12:48 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Oct 2025 12:48 |
| URI: | https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15468 |
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