Local food businesses innovate in virus crisis

WELSH food producers are innovating to pull through the Covid-19 crisis and local initiatives have been welcomed by Plaid Cymru.

Plaid’s Shadow Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Llyr Gruffydd MS and the party’s Westminster spokesperson on rural affairs, Ben Lake, have this week launched a major new campaign to help boost the Welsh food and drink industry.

The “I’m Buying Local” campaign encourages party members and supporters to buy more locally produced food and drink with the aim of helping those businesses cope with the challenges of the Covid- 19 pandemic as well as building resilience for the future.

Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “The Welsh food and drink industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The sudden closure of restaurants and coffee shops and the loss of export markets saw many Welsh farmers lose their markets overnight.

“So it’s really inspiring to see people turn to local suppliers and producers as the food chain has struggled to cope.”

Mr Gruffydd added: “Wales has a good story to tell in terms of its food quality and perhaps this crisis is the opportunity to make sure more people know about it.

“One great example of how a local distribution network has been developed is in the Ogwen Valley based in Bethesda.

“Cadwyn Ogwen has been set up by local social enterprise Partneriaeth Ogwen and helps 10 food producers in the valley distribute their produce.”