Ulster University has launched Future Harvest NI, a new initiative aimed at strengthening local food systems to support families, communities, and food producers across Northern Ireland.
Funded by the Department for the Economy through the Connected NI Competitive Fund, the project will focus on building more responsive food network across Derry~Londonderry and the wider North West. By connecting what is grown locally with how food is actually prepared and enjoyed in homes, Future Harvest NI responds to everyday challenges around family cooking confidence, children’s engagement with food, access to affordable nutritious meals and stronger connections with locally produced food.
Led by Dr Suzanne Kelly, Lecturer in Services Marketing, and Professor Lynsey Hollywood, Professor of Consumer Behaviour & Marketing, from Ulster University Business School, the project brings together expertise from Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, North West Regional College through Foodovation™, Food NI and Who Buys My Brand (University of East Anglia) to work alongside local producers and community partners including Acorn Farm NI and Foyle Women’s Aid / Café Central.
The project builds on Yumfull ™, an innovative research initiative developed by Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast through the UK Research and Innovation funded Good Food First programme. Encouraging findings from a recent pilot survey of 27 participants demonstrated the powerful potential of family-focused meal kits. 81% of households reported trying new foods, with 63% noting their children ate most or all of the unfamiliar meals. Additionally, 88% of respondents reported that their child was actively involved or helped with simple food preparation tasks and 78% of parents found it easy to involve their child in meal preparation tasks. 100% of respondents said they would likely use a similar kit again.
Future Harvest NI builds on this foundation by exploring how simple, seasonal and practical recipes can support families to cook with confidence, while also helping local producers and food SMEs strengthen their routes to market.
Dr Suzanne Kelly, Lecturer in Services Marketing, Ulster University Business School, said:
“Through our previous UK Research and Innovation-funded work, we have seen how relatively simple changes can make family cooking feel much more achievable. In our most recent pilot, more than eight in ten families reported trying a food they would not usually eat, and every respondent said they would be likely to use a similar kit again. Future Harvest NI gives us the opportunity to take that learning further, connecting family food confidence with seasonal local produce, community partners and the businesses that grow and supply our food.”
Designed to respond to local needs, Future Harvest NI will evolve through engagement with families, producers, businesses and community partners. The project will bring together local growing, recipe development, community insight, family food support, SME innovation and digital routes to market in one connected model.
Under the project, partners will work together to:
- support the development of seasonal, family-friendly meal kit recipes
- sonnect seasonal produce and growing expertise from Acorn Farm NI with recipe development and practical family food use
- engage families through Café Central and Foyle Women’s Aid
- develop and test recipes through NWRC Foodovation™
- bring nutrition and family food expertise through Queen’s University Belfast, support local SMEs and producers with digital routes to market
- share learning across the wider food and drink sector through Food NI and Connected NI networks.
Professor Lynsey Hollywood, Professor of Consumer Behaviour & Marketing, Ulster University Business School, commented:
“Real change happens when we stop working in silos and start working together. Future Harvest NI is about bringing together the knowledge, expertise and experience that already exists across our region to create a stronger, more connected local food system that benefits producers, businesses and communities alike. Future Harvest NI reflects the value of place-based innovation: universities, colleges, communities, producers and businesses working together to build a stronger local food future."
Allan Bogle, Sustainable Food Places Co-ordinator Derry City & Strabane District Council and Project Manager at Acorn Farm NI, added:
“At Acorn Farm NI, we're passionate about producing high-quality local food, but growing great produce is only part of the story. Future Harvest NI is an exciting opportunity to work alongside researchers, community organisations and industry partners to ensure more locally grown food reaches local families. By working together, we can strengthen local supply chains, support healthier communities and create a more sustainable food system for the future."
