In September 2023, Matt Reed and Dan Keech hosted a team of eight Norwegian visitors to a study visit to Bristol. Details of the study trip and its key learning points have been produced in an illustrated, six-page NIBIO ‘POP’ pamphlet which can be viewed and freely downloaded on the NIBIO website.
The study visit was part of the CCRI’s contribution to the project UrbanFarms, which aims to enhance added value and sustainability by optimising urban and peri-urban farm resources and making the most of the marketing opportunities offered by cities. The five Norwegian researchers and three farmers visited urban farms of different business models in and near Bristol, as well as retailers and restaurants that specialise in local sourcing. The party was also joined by Bristol Food Network’s Jane Stevenson, another project partner.
CCRI researcher Dan Keech said: “Bristol was included in the project because the city has a long history of ambitious policy and practical innovation when it comes to urban food and farming. But what amazed me about the trip was how instantly all the farmers got on, understood each other’s challenges and swapped ideas very freely, irrespective of their geographical differences – they had so much in common. In the UK, urban areas (especially if they expand) can compete for land with peri-urban agriculture, while in Norway the co-location of food production and access to dense urban populations is a marketing advantage. It was a really constructive, mutual learning experience.”
The project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and led by NIBIO, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research.
