This brings the total number of participating authorities to 95, representing a quarter of all UK local authorities and over 50% of the population.
Leon Ballin, the Sustainable Food Places programme lead from the Soil Association, noted the substantial impact of these partnerships on addressing pressing social issues such as food poverty, health disparities, inequality, and isolation.
And he stressed the need for sustained funding and called on the government to invest more in local food economies, nature-friendly farming, and accessible healthy food options.
Despite the UK government's lag in implementing most of the National Food Strategy and shelving plans for a Horticulture Strategy, other nations have taken steps forward.
The Scottish government passed the Good Food Nation Bill, and the Welsh government has pledged funding for food partnerships in every local area. Ballin stressed the importance of securing similar commitments in England or Northern Ireland.
The SFP network, which began a decade ago with support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund, focuses on strategic, collaborative approaches to good food governance, building public awareness, tackling food poverty, creating sustainable food economies, transforming procurement, and addressing the climate and nature emergency.
Vera Zakharov, SFP local action coordinator, praised Food Partnerships as ‘true local trailblazers’ and highlighted their role in building resilient supply chains, creating employment opportunities, and fostering community engagement around healthy, sustainable food.
The announcement coincided with the annual SFP Awards, celebrating the progress and achievements of 22 partnerships.
The network now boasts 50 award holders in the UK, with 15 Bronze Awards recognizing collaborative best practices and seven Silver Awards acknowledging innovation and a ‘whole place’ approach to extending partnership impact across cities or authorities.