The Importance of Local Food

Food is something we all have in common. Whatever our age, income, background or where we live, we all need food every day to stay healthy, feel well and enjoy life.

That makes food a powerful connector – both locally and across our communities. It shapes our physical health and mental wellbeing, our relationships and social lives, our children’s learning, our local economy and the environment around us. The food system touches everyone in Middlesbrough, from children enjoying school meals and families navigating rising food costs to local businesses growing, producing, selling or serving food.

That’s why local food – and the choices we make about the food we eat – has such an important role to play in creating a healthier, fairer and more resilient Middlesbrough. This is particularly important in a town where many people face significant challenges linked to health inequalities, food insecurity and deprivation.

Strengthening our local food system, with a focus on food that is healthy, affordable and accessible, can help tackle these connected challenges while creating opportunities for local people, communities and businesses to flourish.

Local food supports health and reduces inequalities

Middlesbrough experiences some of the highest levels of deprivation and health inequalities in England. One of the knock-on effects is that eating well can be harder for people who are already facing financial pressures – particularly when a healthy diet can cost twice as much as an unhealthy one.

Making affordable, locally produced or sourced food more available, and helping people discover what’s out there, can make it easier to access fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy food. It can support healthier diets and help people build positive relationships with food from an early age.

Our Eco Shops are a great example of this in action, alongside the many other food support organisations working across the town.

Local food has economic benefits

When we spend money on locally produced food, more of that money stays within our local economy. Supporting local farmers, growers, producers and independent food businesses can help create jobs, encourage new ideas and enterprise, and build stronger local supply chains.

By bringing producers and consumers closer together, we can create a more resilient local economy – one that is less reliant on external supply chains and better able to adapt when economic challenges arise.

Local food has environmental benefits

The way we produce and move food contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Stronger local food systems can help reduce food miles, minimise packaging and encourage more sustainable ways of growing, producing and consuming food.

Growing food locally can also bring nature closer to where people live. Community gardens, allotments and urban growing spaces can create valuable habitats, support biodiversity and add more green space to our neighbourhoods.

And the benefits don’t stop with the environment. These spaces can also give people somewhere to spend time outdoors, learn new skills, meet others and feel more connected to where they live.

Local food helps build community resilience

Recent global events and rising living costs have shown just how important resilient local food systems can be. Communities with strong local food networks are often better placed to respond when national or global supply chains are disrupted.

Local food initiatives can also help bring people together, reduce social isolation and strengthen connections between neighbours. Community growing projects, food hubs and local food partnerships create opportunities for people to meet, share skills and work together towards something positive.

These connections matter. They help communities become more confident, connected and ready to face challenges together.

Ultimately…

Local food is about much more than where our food comes from.

It’s about creating healthier people, stronger communities and a more sustainable Middlesbrough. It’s about making good food more accessible, supporting local businesses, giving people opportunities to connect and grow, and creating places where both people and nature can flourish.

By supporting local food initiatives, Nine Yards can help build a Tees Valley where people and places thrive together – where looking after our environment goes hand in hand with tackling inequality and improving social and economic wellbeing.