A special event is taking place in Glastonbury on Sunday (July 17) to encourage people to think, and act, more sustainably when it comes to food.

The free, drop-in event at the Town Hall has been organised by Glastonbury Town Council as part of the Somerset Food Trail. There will be various displays, and throughout the day there will be talks on subjects such as sourcing local, sustainable produce, growing food for free, agroecology and food justice, and food, the climate and ecological emergency. There will also be panel Q&As and the opportunity for friendly debate. For a full running order, see the poster below.

Melissa Taylor, Climate Emergency & Resilience Officer at Glastonbury Town Council said: "Glastonbury's newly formed Town Council is working together at a most crucial time. Every being and natural system on this precious earth now face the most challenging predicament. Impacts of climate change are happening now and everywhere. The natural world is experiencing catastrophic decline. We are committed to urgently working to slow this destruction, and to prepare for the dramatic changes that lie ahead.

"In response, we need to dramatically and immediately cut our reliance on energy, resources, and exploitation of the natural world and cheap labour. By building on the rich culture of creativity, and practical experience within Glastonbury, this town is perfectly placed to do this work.

"Food is at the centre of many of these issues. While it is a wonderful source of joy in our lives, it is also a matter of survival. The industrial food systems we rely on, use huge amounts of energy, water, natural resources, and cheap labour. These in turn have played a role in rising carbon emissions, as well as the destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity loss. With recent extreme weather events, wars, and changes to trade, many food items are becoming scarce, and costs are rising. The fragility of our food systems is suddenly exposed. So, by supporting local sustainable food systems, carbon emissions and environmental impacts can be reduced, while food supply systems can become more resilient to the many future challenges we are yet to face.

"The event at the Town Hall on Sunday aims to bring together some of the people and projects around Glastonbury, who are working on these issues. We invite anyone to come along, explore the displays, take part in the discussions, and find out more about the Somerset Food Trail events taking place in and around the town, and beyond, from July 15-24."

Glastonbury Town Council declared a climate and ecological emergency, and have committed to reducing carbon emissions by 2030, whilst building the resilience of the town. Full details can be found in GTC's CER full report. https://glastonbury.gov.uk/council/committees/glastonbury-climate-emergency-resilience/

The Somerset Food Trail is celebrating the best of locally produced, delicious and sustainable food. The ten-day Somerset Food Trail Festival runs from Friday 15 to Sunday 24 July and is a county-wide, farm-to-fork showcase that puts the spotlight on Somerset's smaller-scale, more regenerative farmers and artisan producers, and the stores, cafes, pubs and restaurants that support them.  https://www.somersetfoodtrail.org