Roots to Resilience - Round Table - Camborne & Redruth Area

Grow local. Make local. Use local. Connecting Cornwall’s growers and food businesses to strengthen local supply chains. Gathering Evidence. Connecting what we grow with what we use. Grow Local. Make Local. Use Local. This round table brings together farmers, growers, food producers, processors, buyers and distributors across the Camborne and Redruth Area with MP Perran Moon to explore how we better connect what is grown locally with what is actually used. This is part of Cornwall Gateway's Roots to Resilience programme, a Cornwall-wide initiative focused on building shorter, stronger and more resilient food supply chains. This is the third of six Round Tables taking place throughout Cornwall. We start by gathering the evidence to understand what we currently produce, what capacity exits to grow, process and supply more, what the barriers and challenges are as well as what new opportunities may exist, and what is needed to strengthen our local food system. Why now Supply chains are under pressure. Rising costs, climate shocks and reliance on imports are exposing gaps in our food system, while at the same time, opportunities to grow, process and use more local produce are being missed. There is increasing interest from both growers and buyers to work more locally, but the connections, data and infrastructure are not yet in place. This session is about gathering the evidence needed to fix that. What this session will do This is a practical working session, not a presentation. Together we will: • Map real demand from food businesses against local growing capacity • Identify gaps in supply and opportunities to grow more in Cornwall • Understand the barriers preventing more local production and processing • Explore how more produce can be processed locally (e.g. peeling, chopping, chilling, freezing, bottling, jarring) • Bring together growers, producers and solution providers to identify practical ways forward • Begin to identify pilot actions for future harvests and beyond We will focus on commonly used ingredients such as: onions, tomatoes, peppers/chillies, apples, berries and herbs while also capturing opportunities for other crops, products and processing ideas raised during the discussion. Who should attend • Farmers and growers • Food and drink producers • Restaurants, cafés and caterers • Retailers and wholesalers • Public sector buyers (schools, hospitals, care settings) We also expect participation from: • Universities and academics • Sustainable food system experts • Food Manufacturing Experts • Skills providers • Organisations such as the NFU, Eden Project, Growth Hub and others If you are involved in producing, sourcing, using or supporting food systems in Cornwall, this conversation is for you. Why attend • Understand what local businesses actually need • Explore new market opportunities • Connect directly with buyers, growers and partners • Help shape future investment in infrastructure and supply chains • Be part of a coordinated, Cornwall-wide approach Bring with you (optional but useful) To make the session as productive as possible: Producers / Food Businesses: • Approximate ingredient volumes • Where you currently source from (Cornwall, UK, import) • Key challenges or gaps Growers / Farmers: • Current crops and approximate volumes • Interest in growing new crops • Constraints (land, labour, water, infrastructure)