Local food markets may seem like an outdated concept—quirky weekend activities that appeal only to a niche crowd. But as reliance on global food chains grows, so does vulnerability to supply shocks, rising fuel costs, and climate disruption
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00:00Behind me is the White Ladies Road Food Market, operating since 2006 in a community interest
00:11model. It challenges the idea that local food networks are obsolete. Instead, it offers
00:16a glimpse of what resilient, community-based food infrastructure could look like, offering
00:22lower packaging seasonal produce from southwest.
00:25So, this is White Ladies Road Market, and it's been running since 2006, and it's got four
00:32lovely traders, wide range of food, plants, crafts, everything's got sustainability at
00:40the heart of it, so we look for things with local food miles.
00:43Local food markets may seem like an outdated concept, quirky weekend activities that appeal
00:49only to a niche crowd. But, as resilience on global food chains grows,
00:55so does vulnerability to supply stocks, rising fuel costs and climate disruption. Let's
01:01find out from the market team how it has evolved in response to growing concerns about climate
01:07change and food security.
01:09I think the original kind of premise was sustainable Redlands, so sustainable local produce, a local-run
01:17market by volunteers, that's why it's so fantastic. Smallish producers from the locality, but
01:23yeah, it's just a really nice place to be.
01:25At the end of it, money goes back into the community. It's just to make it a community event, get
01:32somewhere to people to go to, enjoy, sit down and talk, and it's just kind of a bit old-fashioned.
01:39Run by the White Ladies Road Community Interest Company, this market was created not just to
01:45sell goods, but to drive systemic change. Its founding goals include boosting awareness
01:51of local food systems, creating low packaging alternatives to supermarket shopping, and providing
01:59a fair trading platform.
02:01I think one, like I said, like just being part of the community. The amount of people that
02:05I've met has been amazing. And even like networking, like other traders, it's so lovely to
02:10be like inspired by them. And also, I think just to be somewhere every week. And kind of,
02:15I think, at the beginning when you start the business, you don't have a bit like a lot
02:18of belief that it's, you know, going to go into something. But seeing the customers coming
02:21back every week to buy your cakes is actually, it's just really, really rewarding.
02:25Operating weekly since 2006, White Ladies Market is one of Bristol's longest-running
02:30community markets in community markets. It claims to serve as a regular community touchpoint.
02:36I think it is mainly about the exposure, where a lot of these smaller vendors as well
02:42won't have like a shop front. And it just gives people a chance to get to know who they
02:48are and why there is so much better to get produce from a local, yes, by a local business.