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Why this? Why Now?

Food isn't working for Wales

Our food system is letting us all down. This is most true for the most vulnerable in society, particularly children. The UK consumes the most ultra-processed foods in Europe – foods which are linked to harm in every major organ in the human body. Excess weight among the current cohort of children is projected to cost the NHS £74 billion over their lifespan, while Diabetes care alone already accounts for nearly 10% of the Welsh NHS budget.

Changing what and how we eat has huge positive impacts on physical and mental health, educational outcomes, the natural environment, culture and even the local economy. Successive reports into the food system have made these links, but recommendations have not been followed through, in many cases because the skills on the ground to implement are lacking. 

Time for action

If we don’t act now, and at scale, the next generation are set to inherit a whole stack of avoidable problems. The solutions aren’t all about spending more money, and they aren’t only about policy change. We need to change the way things are done - in kitchens across the country, and in every public sector and community setting that serves food. 

Our vision

Cegin y Bobl is working towards a country where everyone has the knowledge and skills to feed themselves healthy, delicious food.

How we get there

We believe that Wales can lead the way in making food a force for good.  The Wellbeing of Future of Generations Act, the new Curriculum for Wales, universal free school meals, local procurement pilots, a strong sense of community and identity, and public pride in Welsh produce provide a framework and opportunity which doesn’t exist elsewhere in the UK.
"I'm genuinely excited at the debate and experimentation that’s emerged in Wales. Cegin y Bobl and Welsh civil society organisations are getting on with building that civil food resilience."

Professor Tim Lang,

Food Security Expert and Patron, Cegin y Bobl

Over the coming years, we want to:

Ensure all pupils are fully food literate by the time they leave school.

Equip transformational food leaders in every community in Wales.

Help Welsh society move to a place where good food is the norm in catering settings and all citizens are food resilient and literate.

Transforming the future of food

We are building a movement of people who can reach others, harnessing food’s power to bring people together. By shifting mindsets, from home kitchens to schools, growers, and policy makers, we’ll reshape food systems to transform the future of food for everyone.

What We Do

Our Impact

Over the course of our first year of delivery, we have grown the team, refined our model and massively extended our impact. As well as sharing transformational food education workshops across five Welsh counties, we have influenced national conversations about the future of food, health and skills in Wales.
Our Impact: One Year On
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