Drawing upon decades of strategy design, systems thinking, and community-led experience, our strategic development services can help you shape a better food system and food future in your local area
What we do
We work with food partnerships, local authorities, and community food initiatives, specialising in movement building through participatory, people-centered processes that lead to lasting change. We help you look at the whole system you’re working with and understand the experience and capacity of the people within it. That’s because meaningful change happens when interventions align with people’s ability to participate and make change happen.
What is a strategic development process?
Strategic development is about bringing in expert, external support to help you clarify your vision, shape your strategy, and design projects that bring about real change.
We offer tailored support through workshops, research, mapping, planning days, and co-design processes—which are always centred on listening to your needs and those of your stakeholders; collaboration across diverse partners; and embedding the priorities of your community.
Our approach ensures your strategy is not only actionable but truly rooted in the lived experience of those it serves.
Work With Us
We’ll work out tailored support from you, drawing upon our experience in:
Food Partnership (re)Mobilisation
Whether starting from scratch or rethinking your approach, we help clarify your purpose, engage diverse stakeholders, and build upon structures for lasting change
Applied Research in Food Systems
Using mixed-methods of consultation and research, we help you better understand your project and its impacts to guide your strategy and decision making
Theory of Change
Helping your organisation design its theory of change, which acts as a guiding point for your strategic thinking + visions
Toolkit & Resource Development
Creating tailored, practical materials for use by community groups and practitioners.
Food Summits
A participatory event that brings together diverse voices to explore challenges and co-create solutions for a fairer, more sustainable food system
Data Analysis
Identifying trends and patterns in both quantitative and qualitative data
Interactive Evaluation Workshops
Facilitated group sessions that encourage collaboration, reflection, and shared learning
Key Stakeholder Interviews
Gaining expert perspectives through in-depth conversations with individuals directly involved
Surveys
Collecting structured feedback from diverse participant groups to assess perceptions and outcomes
Historical Comparison
Contextualising your current progress by analysing your previous impact and projects
Our Strategic Development Services in Practice
We have worked locally and nationally with partners ranging from county councils to the national school meals service. Some of our previous examples include:
Good Food East Sussex Network
https://www.foodmatters.org/projects/good-food-east-sussex/
‘The work that Food Matters has done to help create such a strong Food Partnership alliance in East Sussex will undoubtedly be a huge benefit to all the partnerships, not just now, but in years to come.’ – Liz Maynard, Rother Voluntary Action
Get In Touch
Reach out to the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do, get involved or to collaborate with us on a future project at [email protected]
