Food Supply Chain: Feasibility Study.

East Anglia Food Link Ltd.
Pictures: East Anglia Food Link
This was a one-year research project on the food producers, processors and retailers within the Broads & Rivers area. The study reviewed existing markets and suppliers and the way in which the customer's "food pound" is distributed among the players in the supply chain. The study also identifed the steps needed to create and strengthen local linkages, enabling local businesses to keep a greater share of value within the local economy.

Building on Expertise

East Anglia Food Link (EAFL) already had significant experience of working with the food economy. This project added to the information already collected through using a combination of visits and postal questionnaires to get local information from farmers and growers, and retailers and processors, including butchers, bakers and brewers, and caterers including pubs and schools.

Study

The study included a review of existing research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Farmers Union and others; and the analysis was incorporated in a detailed report, which is available on EAFL's website.

Looking ahead

During the project a loose network was developed with local food businesses, with the aim of considering the potential for a longer-term supply chain project, encouraging more local sourcing. Local retailers and caterers would be encouraged to buy from local processors, distributors and producers. In their turn, processors and producers would be helped to buy their ingredients locally. In this way, the maximum value would be retained within the economy of the Broads & Rivers area. This would give retailers a competitive advantage by enabling them to offer traceable, local products, which would appeal to many consumers.

This type of project was developed, but due to State Aids support to agricultural products could not be funded by the LEADER+ programme, and was signposted to other funders.

Grant awarded

The total Cost of the Study was a fraction over £40,000, of which LEADER+ provided £20,000.