Alongside education programmes such as carbon literacy training and youth climate projects, the charity runs initiatives in energy, food, transport, and waste, tackling the key areas that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Futureproof Cumbria also co-chairs the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP), a collaborative network that brings together all sectors across the county to drive policy change and collective action towards the 2037 goal.

As part of the Innovate UK Net Zero Living programme, Futureproof Cumbria is collaborating with Westmorland and Furness Council, Cumbria Tourism, and local businesses to explore pathways to decarbonise local food systems.

The challenge

Food accounts for nearly a third of global emissions – and around a quarter in the UK – yet it is often overlooked in net zero strategies. It affects many council departments but doesn’t necessarily have overarching policy. The more that can be done to bring together departments such as procurement, public health, education and climate and nature in the promotion of healthy, local, low carbon and affordable food, the better.

Ultimately, the goal is to embed healthy, local, low-carbon food in council strategy, with wider effects on community health, education, and local economies.

Laura Blake, Futureproof’s Low Carbon Food Project Manager “System change takes time, Place-to-Plate had to work within tight project timelines. Acting as a facilitator rather than a direct service provider, we could encourage actions, collaboration and participation from growers, wholesalers, caterers and schools but couldn’t force anyone to be involved.”

The innovation

Following a feasibility study with 40+ stakeholders, two initiatives were co-designed: Place-to-Plate and the Circular Economy Hub. Building on the Zero Carbon Cumbria food programme, funded by the National Lottery, Futureproof Cumbria and Cumbria Tourism are exploring what a healthy, local, low carbon, and affordable food system could look like. The focus is on food flows – from production to consumption – and how to influence them.

Futureproof Cumbria works as an intermediary between the council and local businesses and other organisations such as schools, farmers, caterers and wholesalers. The team also liaised with the Education, Procurement, Climate and Natural Environment and Public Health departments in the council.

Inspired by the Courgette Project in Wales, the team developed a pilot – Cumbrian Carrot Connections. Support from ProVeg UK, enabled by the Net Zero Living Programmes technical assistance partners, helped tailor resources for schools. The goal: get locally grown carrots onto school plates, while educating students about sustainability and food systems.

Sharing her thoughts on the Place-to-Plate project, Blake notes that their experience has highlighted the power of partnership. “The way this project connects food with health, poverty, and cultural identity makes me proud to contribute to something that prioritises long-term impact over short-term gain.”

The impact

Westmorland and Furness Council identified food as a ‘key challenge to achieving net zero by 2037’ in its Climate Action Plan, with Place-to-Plate specifically referenced as a delivery mechanism. In support of this plan, Futureproof Cumbria are helping to build an evidence base around food and what can be done to decarbonise and overcome non-technical barriers, as well as exploring several case studies of what has worked well elsewhere. This is helping the council deliver against several of its objectives.

The Cartmel Racecourse event – where Futureproof Cumbria presented its pilot idea that eventually became Cumbrian Carrot Connections – was a turning point. It brought together growers, wholesalers, caterers, schools, councillors, and community organisations. A local grower agreed to supply the carrots, while a school resource pack and a range of carrot recipes have been developed, with support from ProVeg UK.

Students also presented the Cartmel Commitment – a youth-led call to action for councils, schools, and businesses to maximise the environmental, health, and social benefits of food. The enthusiasm in the room made it clear there was real appetite for collaboration and change.

Several local councillors now support the project, have endorsed the Cartmel Commitment and have agreed to support its dissemination and implementation.

I am proud of the way that we have involved young people within the project and how we have, through the Cartmel Commitment, created an opportunity for their voices and opinions to be heard. It has also opened new opportunities for young people to speak in council-run sessions and share their opinions on the climate crisis and what they think local authorities should be focusing on, particularly with regards to school food.

– Laura Blake, Low Carbon Food Project Manager, Futureproof Cumbria

What’s next?

The pilot has been extended to November, with a target to connect one grower, one vegetable, one caterer, and up to five schools.

The ambition is to:

• Scale out

  Expand to more schools, growers, caterers, and explore public procurement in hospitals, care homes and universities.

• Scale deeper

  Continue to embed healthy, sustainable food education in the school curricula, covering emissions, careers, and wider food impacts. Also mobilise organisations to demand change from wholesalers and retailers, including proposals for ‘local food’ sections on supplier websites.

• Scale up

  Existing work with Vista Veg and the ‘grow an acre’ initiative positions Futureproof Cumbria to expand, creating new business opportunities and healthier communities.

Blake highlights the vital contributions of Innovate UK and the project’s monitoring officer, noting: “The wrap around support we have received from Innovate UK and the work with our monitoring officer has been invaluable. Their willingness to fund cross-sector projects and active encouragement of the collaborative work has allowed us to develop strong partnerships, particularly with local businesses.”

For other businesses engaging with local authorities, Blake states the importance of linking projects with their policies and objectives, as there is already a mandate in place. As with any organisation, councils have certain constraints around their capacity, how they can act and what they have the budget for. Working together and understanding these means you can help and support where needed – and vice versa!

We’re really pleased to be working with Futureproof Cumbria on the Innovate UK Place-to- Plate project. Their support and leadership are helping to champion local food for local people, from getting Cumbrian carrots into our schools, to supporting the Cartmel Commitment, and researching micro-processing. We’re excited to see the difference these locally focused projects will make for our food sector and communities.

– Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services