SYSC’s South Yorkshire Food Network project explored how social, environmental and economic challenges that the food production sector faces and how a linked-up food network can create a more sustainable, equitable, and economically resilient food system for the region. Meanwhile, the Delivering Sustainable Food Systems project examined engineering innovations that have the potential to decarbonise food and drinks processing and manufacturing.
As part of SYSC’s Consolidated Research Report, two case studies have explored the work completed by the centre in response to those projects. “South Yorkshire Food Network Feasibility Study” addresses the lack of a unified regional food network that brings together large-scale producers, small businesses, and community groups, allowing them to speak with a common voice on key issues of mutual concern. “From Data to Impact” explored the environmental impact of products from 12 South Yorkshire food and drink manufacturing facilities in terms of annual energy use, water consumption, and carbon emissions. Together, these case studies present qualitative and quantitative data sets and recommendations for the region’s food manufacturing sector.
Key Insights
The South Yorkshire Food Network Feasibility Study addressed the region's lack of a unified food strategy by evaluating the potential for a cross-sector network involving producers, businesses, and community groups. Sheffield has demonstrated how "anchor institutions" like schools and hospitals could improve the health and sustainability of the food they serve to the public by increasing their purchasing from local small and medium-sized producers. This project surveyed 56 regional local businesses, policymakers and civil society organisations from all four local authorities in the South Yorkshire region. The findings revealed overwhelming support for a regional food network, provided it maintains transparent governance, focuses on tangible outcomes, and adds value without duplicating existing local efforts. Through this collaborative vision, the study highlights a collective commitment to creating a more sustainable, integrated, and impactful food system across all four South Yorkshire local authorities.
The "From Data to Impact" case study examined South Yorkshire’s food and drink manufacturing sector where high energy and water consumption pose significant decarbonisation challenges for the region’s 170 businesses. The study discovered a higher than the UK average reliance on natural gas in the overall energy consumption of the 12 study participants - this has important implications, as gas-fired equipment typically consumes more energy than electric alternatives. While identifying practical barriers to sustainability, such as limited internal capacity and scepticism toward the benefits of data collection, the research highlighted successful interventions like solar PV and heat recovery systems. The study highlighted that there is a long-term opportunity to shift the culture and behaviour of food and drink manufacturers towards renewable resource use and energy efficiency. By actively engaging with the industry and continuing to collect data to encourage energy efficiency, this work prompts manufacturers to check in on their energy and encourages integrating decarbonisation into supply chains, which can shift cultural assumptions about sustainability in food production.
From Dialogue to Delivery
To find out more and explore our work on a regional food network you can read the South Yorkshire Food Network Feasibility Report. This is the full report from the South Yorkshire Food Network project detailing the work conducted as part of it. The report confirms that a South Yorkshire regional food network is both viable and necessary and that there is a strong appetite for collaboration and shared purpose among food system actors with the common objective of strengthening economic growth, improving public health and advancing environmental goals.
View the case studies
Read the case studies in full below:
