{"id":70001,"date":"2024-12-12T16:08:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=70001"},"modified":"2024-12-12T16:18:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:18:45","slug":"good-food-for-everyone-how-can-farmers-markets-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/12\/good-food-for-everyone-how-can-farmers-markets-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Good food for everyone: Can Cardiff make it a reality?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Welsh capital is trialling a support scheme to encourage shopping locally, but farmers at the market believe financial aid alone isn\u2019t enough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Crates of fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers market.\" class=\"wp-image-70003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Crates of fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers market.\" class=\"wp-image-70003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/frmers-market-apples.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fresh produce, especially while it basks in the golden winter sunlight, looks full of life in Cardiff&#8217;s Riverside Market Image: Wiktoria Jazwinska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Even on a rainy day in Cardiff,  farmers markets are full of shoppers. Queues of people huddling under umbrellas wait for fresh bread or produce harvested from local farms in the early morning hours. Regulars at the market smile and nod to each other, and the vendors gratefully welcome each customer who chooses to shop locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wales is on a mission to reach net zero by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/netzero2035.wales\/about\/\">2035<\/a>. Cardiff Council wants to contribute to the goal by transforming how people think about and consume food, encouraging Cardiffians to eat more<a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2023\/12\/14\/can-a-local-food-culture-restore-welsh-tourism\/\"> local and sustainably sourced produce<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/foodcardiff.com\/\">Food Cardiff Partnership<\/a>&nbsp;was co-founded by the Cardiff &amp; Vale Public Health Team and Cardiff Council in&nbsp;2014. Its goals are to educate and help locals make more informed and healthy food choices and contribute to the net-zero goal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This September, the partnership achieved the Gold Sustainable Food Places Award, a programme with ambitions to tackle food challenges across the UK.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One area of exceptional achievement that helped Cardiff achieve this was a good meal for everyone every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch this handy explainer below:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"sbi-embed-wrap\"><blockquote class=\"instagram-media sbi-embed\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DDeebq6Oj30\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DDeebq6Oj30\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DDeebq6Oj30\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Wiktoria Jazwinska (@wikijourno)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote><script async src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reconnecting with real food<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Wales&#8217; farming industry generated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.wales\/aggregate-agricultural-output-and-income-2023-html\">\u00a3470 million in 2023<\/a>, a 6% drop attributed to rising living costs, according to the Welsh government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organic produce and markets are often seen as a luxury, they remain pricey and less accessible for many people. Despite this, the UK organic market grew by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.organicresearchcentre.com\/news-events\/news\/organic-market-report-2024\/\">2% in 2023<\/a>, although the percentage of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.soilassociation.org\/news\/2024\/february\/22\/organic-market-grows-for-12th-year-but-the-uk-needs-radical-rethink-to-reap-further-benefits\/\">organic farmland remains at 3%<\/a>, according to the Soil Association.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Farmer Paul Wisniewski, 42, owner of Pauls Organic Veg, has one of the most popular fruit and vegetable stalls at Cardiff\u2019s farmers markets, selling organic produce grown on his farm in Abergavenny.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wisniewski collaborated with Food Cardiff\u2019s<a href=\"http:\/\/www.riversidemarket.org.uk\/planet-card\"> Planet Card<\/a> programme, part of the nationwide<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sustainweb.org\/bridging-the-gap\/\"> Bridging the Gap<\/a> initiative helping people with low incomes access sustainable food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, in the second pilot phase, this scheme provides&nbsp;120 eligible applicants with \u00a311&nbsp;a week to spend with selected vendors at the city&#8217;s farmers markets, helping them shop locally and sustainably.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>A lot of people using the scheme are disconnected from food, so it\u2019s great that the project brings them closer to real produce<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem with such an initiative, says Wisniewski, is the extra work it creates for the farmers without significantly impacting the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He added that Planet Card holders often have little idea of what produce to buy and how to cook with it. Wisniewski says this slows down his already busy service, as he has to take extra time to explain what he is selling and how it can be prepared.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA lot of people using the scheme are disconnected from food. It\u2019s great that the project brings them closer to real produce, but more work needs to be done,\u201d said Wisniewski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Farmer Paul serving customers at the farmer's market.\" class=\"wp-image-70009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market-.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Farmer Paul serving customers at the farmer's market.\" class=\"wp-image-70009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market--1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/paul-farmers-market-.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Farmer Paul Wisniewski chats and laughs with his regulars while those waiting in line patiently discuss which veg they&#8217;ll be taking home that week Image: Wiktoria Jazwinska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It goes back to school<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>To truly create sustainable, long-lasting change, sustainability and food security issues need to be addressed early on through education, says Roath farmers market vendor and butcher Graham Hopkin, 67.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe need to teach life skills, how to manage your money and how to cook nutritious meals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hopkin is not currently participating in the scheme but thinks it could benefit those who need financial assistance and help expose them to local produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Food Cardiff has partnered with a dietitian-led programme,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cavuhb.nhs.wales\/patient-advice\/local-public-health-team\/public-health-dietetic-team\/nutrition-skills-for-life\/\">Nutrition Skills for Life<\/a>, to teach Cardiffians the skills to access and prepare sustainable food. Since 2021, over 3,000 people have accessed cooking and nutrition courses through the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the efforts, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/senedd.wales\/media\/aw0fx2x0\/cr-ld15845-e.pdf\">Senedd research<\/a>, between 2021 and 2023, Wales saw a 41% increase in the number of food parcels distributed to people struggling to feed their families.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wisniewski agrees that education is crucial and says: \u201cWe need to teach people how to cook and shop again. Schools and communities should have gardens. We must put the funding in the right place to teach people how to grow, harvest, and cook from the produce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maria Mesa, 68, works closely with ethnic minority communities, mainly women. She took part in the first Planet Card pilot and thinks the scheme is important to asylum seekers and refugees who rely on food banks that often lack fresh produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mesa also agrees that education is key and suggests that scheme participants should be taught the importance of eating organic produce to create long-term sustainable change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome people may feel embarrassed because they\u2019re getting something for free,\u201d she said, \u201cso introducing them to the market, creating more of a community and teaching them the benefits of organic food would make markets more accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Funding shortfalls<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, there isn\u2019t enough funding to support all of Cardiff\u2019s projects, says Pearl Costello, 32, Food Cardiff co-ordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have to try to be smarter with how funding is used,\u201d Costello said, \u201cfor example, there\u2019s a cluster in central and south Cardiff who are collecting surplus food together and dividing it across projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href=\"\/\/3930C740-B8A4-4F88-B47E-22FEECDF0EBA\/Welsh%20Government%20committed%20to%20funding%20cross-sector%20food%20partnerships%20in%20Wales\">Welsh Government<\/a>&nbsp;committed to funding cross-sector food partnerships in Wales in all local authorities to help improve food security and sustainability by allocating \u00a32.5 million across the country, but this doesn&#8217;t seem to be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the data collected by Food Cardiff, there is a gap between those who are struggling with eating enough meals, which is around 15% and those who are accessing food banks, which is only two to three per cent of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To combat this, Food Cardiff promotes a cash-first approach, says Costello. They work closely with Cardiff Council to ensure people have the money rather than looking at food as the answer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shopping at farmers markets is undoubtedly a great way to support a sustainable local food economy. But without knowing how to use the produce, shoppers risk wasting both the farmers\u2019 hard work and the food itself. Perhaps rethinking how to make every market visit count is as important as making the visit possible in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"708\" height=\"884\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19.png\" alt=\"The Planet Card logo\" class=\"wp-image-70088 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19.png 708w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-615x768.png 615w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-293x366.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"708\" height=\"884\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19.png\" alt=\"The Planet Card logo\" class=\"wp-image-70088 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19.png 708w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-615x768.png 615w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-11.22.19-293x366.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-background has-medium-font-size\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(209,157,0) 100%)\">The Planet Card can be used at Roath Market and Riverside Market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-006e8fb2b46058778ba5db104f800b5b\" style=\"color:#068706\"><strong>Participating vendors:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Paul&#8217;s Organic Veg<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Coed Organic <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Slad Valley Mushrooms<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-cab5bd7426a513ba377527fbb017b74b\" style=\"color:#068706\">If you live in Cardiff and identify as experiencing a low income you can apply by <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSclXVXEwdS-aDEhaKgYxuvgBaGBU1kbMXWIlQwBJDYsYZ_n2Q\/viewform\">following this link.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Welsh capital is trialling a support scheme to encourage shopping locally, but Cardiff Farmers market vendors believe financial aid alone isn\u2019t enough<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1193,"featured_media":70003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7087,7936],"tags":[8221,527,640,512,7271],"coauthors":[8071],"class_list":["post-70001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-long-reads","category-public-life","tag-cardiff-sustainable-food","tag-farmers-market","tag-local-food","tag-organic-food","tag-shop-local"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - 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