Monmouthshire County Council celebrates food partnerships
The council has adopted food strategies, setting measurable targets for procuring and providing local, healthy, and sustainable food.
One of the projects implemented by the Monmouthshire Food Partnership is the Welsh Veg in Schools initiative.
This pilot project, coordinated by Food Sense Wales, aims to incorporate more organically produced Welsh vegetables into primary school meals across Wales.
The project collaborates with partners such as Castell Howell, Farming Connect Horticulture, and various growers to achieve this goal.
The initiative recognises that Welsh organic vegetables are more expensive than conventionally grown ones.
Therefore, the pilot has covered the price gap between local, organic produce and standard prices.
In 2024, the Welsh Veg in Schools initiative served 200,000 portions of fresh, organic veg in more than 200 schools across Wales, including 12 Monmouthshire primary schools.
Leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Councillor Mary Ann Brocklesby, said: "There's a good food movement happening all across Wales, and we're proud to be part of it.
"Local food partnerships are some of the key drivers of change."
In spring 2024, Food Sense Wales received additional funding from the Bridging the Gap programme to scale the project and expand its reach across the public sector.
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