Food and Sustainability Festival

The seeds of a new Dundee festival with a focus on food and sustainability could be planted if councillors approve a report.

The event is proposed for early summer this year and would bring together a range of partners who would help put together a programme of events and activities.

The Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure committee will hear that the festival is intended to reflect the area’s reputation as a rich local larder and highlight sustainability actions underway across the city.

The festival would showcase innovative local food and drink businesses and promote local food heroes. It would also shine a spotlight on community gardens, allotments, home growing networks, food insecurity networks, foodbanks and community fridges.

Organisations including Campy Growers, the James Hutton Institute and Eat & Drink Dundee could participate, while other partners including the universities, Eden, V&A Dundee will also be invited to participate with their ideas, events, and activities.

A working group would be set up to look at how to organise the initial festival, and the council’s role would be to pull he separate strands together.

Councillors will be told that, with a budget of £35,000, it is proposed that the 2024 event is modest in scale, with a review carried out afterwards to inform planning and resourcing of future events.

Committee convener Councillor Steven Rome said: “While this would be a small scale start to a new food and sustainability festival, I am hoping that this will grow organically in scale as more partners become involved and contribute.

“There are many elements in the city that could be brought on board to provide events that will attract visitors as well as local people. 

“I also hope that this could provide spin-off benefits for our local food and drink businesses, leading to greater spend in our local economy.

“We have identified a type of festival that has lots of potential, but we need to be very mindful about the amount of resources that can be allocated. That is why partnership working and external funding will be vital for the future.”

Fairness spokesperson and depute committee convener Councillor Siobhan Tolland added: “Any new festival around food and sustainability will give us the chance to highlight the food insecurity network and also the range of community larders that are available for people across the city.

“It is vital that we can raise awareness of resources that people can access in their communities.”

The Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee meets on Monday January 8.

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