The , in Beta, has been created to enable UK consumers to identify and source food more directly from producers. This initiative is simple, “lo-fi,” and direct and yet brilliantly addresses and meets these critical needs of all involved (information provided by Farms to Feed Us About page):
- There is an explosion of consumer interest in sourcing food directly and many producers are experiencing unprecedented demand that has increased dramatically.
- In the midst of COVID-19, restaurants and event caterers are suffering from a drastic decrease in sales. The result is bottlenecks, wastage and loss of income.
- This database provides a route to market for producers that exclusively supplied restaurants and now have completely redesigned their business to adapt to the changing situation during the pandemic.
- The database promotes purchases from small producers, particularly those who may need to recoup lost sales.
- Provides a solid foundation for the future-forward vision “of increased public engagement with local, community-supported, and short-chain food supply, as well as big questions about food security, sovereignty, and sustainability.”
In short, the database, growing daily, indicates who can provide food grown locally on a small and sustainable scale, and also supports “those on the other front-line: our farmers, growers and fishers who are working harder than ever to keep us fed.”
Farms to Feed Us is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers, made up of activists, farmers, journalists, and economists. Currently the database is in spreadsheet format (the Find command is helpful to search) with a website version on the way. The database is open source and designed to be shared.
Photo by Peter Wendt on Unsplash
