Public Consultation on Draft Cork Food Strategy 2025–2030
Closing Date: 30 May 2025
Cork City Council invites public participation in the development of a visionary new food strategy for the city. The Cork Food Policy Council, in collaboration with community stakeholders, has prepared a Draft Vision for a Food Strategy for Cork 2025–2030, outlining a bold and inclusive roadmap for a more sustainable, resilient, and healthier local food system.
Introduction
As global urbanisation increases, cities are playing a more critical role in addressing food system challenges. Food systems — encompassing the production, processing, transportation, and consumption of food — are complex and deeply connected to both public health and environmental sustainability.
Cork, like many cities, faces the pressing need to transition towards a more sustainable and equitable food system. The current food system, which often supports unhealthy and environmentally damaging diets, demands transformative change. In response, this Draft Food Strategy seeks to make Cork’s food system safe, resilient, and sustainable — one that supports community well-being, biodiversity, climate action, and food sovereignty.
This consultation sets out the vision of the Cork Food Policy Council to cultivate a resilient and inclusive food culture for Cork. It supports learning, growing, and enjoying good food across all communities, and depends on actions from residents, businesses, institutions, and community groups.
Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Dan Boyle, emphasised the importance of public engagement, stating:
“As we seek to transform to net-zero carbon emissions, Cork City is at an important point in its journey. This is the perfect time to have a conversation about food — how we consume it, where it comes from, and how we reuse or dispose of waste materials. I encourage everyone to get involved in this consultation to create a Food Strategy for Cork, because this is our food system, and we as citizens are the ones who will ultimately drive the change to a more sustainable food system.”
Draft Strategy Goals
The strategy identifies five key goals:
Ensure access to affordable, nourishing food for all
Build a sustainable and resilient local food system
Support a thriving, diverse, and inclusive local food economy
Foster resilient, community-centred food environments
Promote lifelong food learning and skills
These goals are underpinned by the core principles of the Cork Food Policy Council, which seeks to:
Influence local food policy based on global best practices
Support education, knowledge-sharing, and food-related skills development
Champion community-led food initiatives that improve equitable access to good food
Have Your Say – Public Submissions Invited
Cork City Council welcomes submissions on the Draft Strategy by 4:00 PM, Friday 31 May 2025, through the following channels:
Online: via this consultation portal
Email: cfoodpolicycouncil@gmail.com
For queries, please contact: cfoodpolicycouncil@gmail.com
Data Protection and GDPR
Cork City Council is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2014, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
For full details on our GDPR and Privacy Policies, visit: www.corkcity.ie/gdpr
If submitting by email, please include your name and contact details on a separate sheet from your main submission, to support GDPR compliance.
Date: 27th March 2025
Valerie O'Sullivan
Chief Executive
Cork City Council
The Public Consultation Institute of Ireland (PCII) is committed to engaging citizens and empowering communities through the use of emerging technologies, which are transforming how the Government and citizens communicate and interact. PCII's mission is to bring more people into the public participatory process. Not only will this expand informed public engagement, early studies suggest that it is likely to enhance the diversity and quality of participation. View a list of public consultations currently open at https://www.publicconsultation.ie/haveyoursay