The South West Grain Network was established in 2019 in the wake of the first UK Grain Lab to address the needs of bakers, millers, farmers and other grain users looking to build an alternative grain economy; one that is human scale, non-commodity and grounded in friendship and collaboration.

We exist to support a transition to ways of farming, processing, and consuming grain in the South West of the UK that fosters ecological and social well being.

We do this by improving the viability and sustainability of grain-based businesses in the South West through knowledge transfer, peer support, training, and co-operation to safeguard and promote agroecological and regenerative farming practises, and the livelihoods and communities these support.

Our areas of interest include building soil health, supporting innovative plant breeding and grain diversity, sharing and collaboration; sustainable farming practices; new food production business models and techniques; food security and sovereignty.
Our vision is for shorter, healthier, and more diverse supply chains, where the identity of people and place is celebrated and valued.

The networks actions are governed by these core values that were developed and consented to by the network through a series of participatory workshops. These are:

Non-commodity & Human Scale – these are two sides of the same coin; at the start of something it is often easier to define yourself by what you are not, rather than consent to something affirmative. For a food system to support an agroecological transition, it must be more deeply connected so that it can communicate values other than price and quantity.

Caring & Collaborative – collaboration, friendships & trust – these are the currency of a human scale food system. It is important that we try and leave behind the competitive instincts, protectionism and addiction to scale & growth that a commodity system brings. The ideas of being caring and collaborative embody this for us.

Accessible – food sovereignty isn’t just about empowering farmers to make their own choices; it also means widening access to and participation in healthy, nutritious food networks

Ethical – this is an attempt to express that businesses within the network take decisions based on values as well as value.

Forward thinking & doing – this is to say the network is a place of both experimentation but also action.

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