A MAJOR conference, Food for All, will be held in Southampton next year to examine issues surrounding food in the city.

Bringing together a range of delegates involved with food from farm to fork, the con-ference aims to be the catalyst for the establishment of a Southampton Food Network.

Local MP Alan Whitehead, who is supporting the initiative, says: "The food we eat plays a major role in determining our quality of life. This important conference seeks to address how the city can act together to promote local food from Hampshire, increase awareness of the benefits of eating healthy food and deal with issues relating to food poverty whether by improving access to food or having the confidence to cook healthy food. Food for All is a goal to which we should all subscribe and hopefully the conference will set out a course to achieve this goal."

National speakers will set the scene on bringing food to all. This will be followed by workshops which will feed into a final session where an action plan for the Southampton Food Network will be agreed.