A central focus of our one day seminar was the contribution of markets to the healthy eating agenda. NABMA was fortunate to attract a significant panel of experts pictured above that included Chairman, Krys Zasada, Head of Markets, Manchester City Council, Mike Tiddy, Category Manager, Fresh Produce and Nutrition, Dan Keech, Sustainable Food Chains Project Officer, Sustain, Gillian Kynoch, Scottish Food and Health Co ordinator, HISD and Angela Towers, Manager, North West Food & Health Task Force .

It was clear from all the information given by our panel that we need to grasp the opportunity that is presented by this agenda to promote the value of markets and ensure that markets play an important role in the food chain.
There are a number of practical things that all Nabma members should be considering and a starting point should be to sign up to the five a day campaign which is already well established. All markets can be licensed to use the logo (www. 5aday.nhs.uk) and be seen to give support to this important initiative.
Much was made during the seminar of the need to raise awareness in schools of healthy eating and one way of doing this and coupling it with markets promotion is to invite school groups to the market. Give them a tour of what is on offer emphasising the importance of fresh food to markets and how it gets from producers to markets. Some Nabma members already organise such visits and with the right publicity material it can act as an incentive for families to use markets.
Farmers’ markets are already a well established feature of many market operations but they need to be encouraged and can provide an important element of the overall market enterprise. Farmers’ markets can assist in reducing food miles and ensuring that fresh food reaches the consumer quickly and efficiently.
The one day seminar enabled us to hear from various organisations with which we have had no previous involvement. Time and again emphasis was placed on the potential for partnership arrangements and we must ensure that markets are no longer insular but embrace the opportunities for engagement with public health, regeneration and food organisations so that we can take our place as an important contributor to the healthy eating campaign.
If you missed the seminar then contact info@nabma.com for copies of the presentations. There is a lot of information and contacts that you can use to promote your markets.
I make no apology for making a strong plea about this issue. The impact of healthy eating is so significant that markets must be encouraged to play an important role in the campaign.
It is a subject that we will return to later in the year.
Graham Wilson, Chief Executive.