Food and Farming

Suffolk is already deservedly popular as a visitor destination and as the source for wonderful local food and drink.

Its local distinctiveness and character, and its tranquillity, mean many people choose to visit the county and own holiday properties here. However, tourism can also harm the environment that is the reason for visiting here so ensuring that our tourism industry has as little impact as possible is an important aim.

Suffolk is well known for locally produced high quality food and drink, important to both tourist and visitor alike. Suffolk organisations buying food from local sources helps to reduce food miles; builds the local economy of small-scale producers and retailers; supports traditional Suffolk livestock and species; and sustains attractive grazing meadows, orchards and fields.

Suffolk can increase the market for locally produced high quality food and for further recognition and establishment of Suffolk as a sustainable tourism destination. At the same time we need to ensure that local food is accessible and affordable for all – through the development of good supplier networks and support for affordable local food outlets.

A major project in this strand is to support existing plans for local food hubs that will enable a more sustainable supply chain and greater access to local food throughout the county. We are also supporting local food through commitments from our partners to sourcing locally for their internal needs – vital to developing a strong local food economy that can develop with the certainty of sufficient demand.

In the tourism sector we are working closely with the Suffolk Tourism Partnership who have already taken up the motto of ‘Green Suffolk’.We will be drawing up a strategy to: encourage greater sustainability in the modes of travel, accommodation and activities of visitors; helping tourist businesses save energy and water; and supporting the marketing of Suffolk as a “sustainable tourism experience”. Watch this space for further information!