Food

  1. Key initiatives
  2. Food

Food, it could be argued, is the single most important issue impacting climate change and our planet’s health generally. According to WWF 69% of global freshwater use is for growing food, and 70% of global biodiversity loss is associated with food growing. Food production also accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And current trends in population growth indicate that agricultural output will need to grow substantially to be sufficient to feed the world’s population, putting more pressure on the planet’s natural resources. We have to redefine both what we eat and how we grow and produce it, to put the future of food on a sustainable footing both in terms of its climate impact as well as other ecological considerations.

Another important issue is food waste. It has been estimated that from farm to fork roughly a third of all food stuffs are wasted globally. If we could eliminate all avoidable food waste, this would go a long way to mitigating the need to produce more food in future.

Agriculture is linked to 10% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, including 70% of nitrous oxide emissions and 50% of all methane production. Of the food consumed in the UK, 53% is produced within the UK, 28% is imported from Europe and 19% from the rest of the world.

Join the collective

There are a whole host of food-based community projects active all over the UK, helping to change our food systems for the better and to provide for both people and the planet. The Food for Life programme works with all sectors of the community to help make healthy and sustainable meals available for everyone. The Sustainable Food Places programme now involves more than 60 UK cities. The Incredible Edible network exists in 100 places across the UK and also internationally. Mobile Apps such as Olio and Too Good To Go help reduce food wastage within the community, by linking companies that have surplus food with the people in their locality who need it.

Co-benefits

From meat-free-Mondays to community farms, individuals and groups across the UK are taking a more sustainable approach to food consumption and raising the issue of food waste. Local food growing initiatives can help reduce transport emissions and bring the community together, improving skills, helping people in poverty, improving health and wellbeing and reducing social isolation.

Projects

Loughborough Farm was set up by Loughborough Junction Action Group (LJAG), a volunteer-led charity that works to improve the environment of Loughborough Junction in south London and the lives of the people who live and work there. The community farm and adventure playground was formed in August 2013, using a patchwork of derelict or underused sites to grow food for the local community.

How it came about

The Loughborough Junction Community Action Group was formed in 2008 following the murder of a young resident. Local residents came together to do something positive for their neighbourhood, which they felt had been neglected for too long. The main site on Loughborough Road was originally only granted permission on the land temporarily but this has been extended to at least 20 years. It is now part of LJ Works, a new enterprise hub in Loughborough Junction “offering low-cost, flexible work space including makerspace, kitchen incubators, textile studios, individual and shared studios and co-working offices for local businesses.”

How it works

The Action Group runs the community farm, a community orchard, and several other small growing sites around the area. It is entirely volunteer-led, focused on growing food for local people and developing skills such as DIY, arts and crafts, cooking, community events, selling and planning. Volunteers get a proportion of the food grown. Horticultural training is provided and new volunteers are encouraged to take up opportunities for accredited training that could lead to employment.

There are two main projects run at the farm. The Wish You Were Here project partners with local GP surgeries, an addiction treatment centre and a local hostel to get more vulnerable people involved with food growing and other activities at the farm. The Loughborough Farm Community Cafe sees volunteers and community cooks making food for sale, using produce from the farm.

Co-benefits

Loughborough Junction Action Group’s fundraising activities have brought £400,000 into the Loughborough Junction community and the Loughborough Farm has had a substantial social impact thanks to its active outreach programmes on local estates and youth centres and its work with vulnerable people in the community.

Real Food Wythenshawe

Real Food Wythenshawe is an ambitious project that aims to excite and engage the people of Wythenshawe, south Manchester in growing and cooking fresh, sustainable food. The project works closely with healthcare providers and reaches a diverse range of people in the community, especially those who are socially and economically excluded. Activities take place at a number of sites including Wythenshawe Park, Wythenshawe Town Centre and at a geodome at Manchester College.

How it came about

On average people living in Wythenshawe live six fewer years in good health, than people living elsewhere in Manchester. With the support of The National Lottery Community Fund, the project was set up to help address this issue and encourage members of the community to grow and cook fresh sustainable food. With continued funding, it has now significantly grown and diversified.

How it works

The programme aims to promote behaviour change with food and nutrition. This is achieved by engaging community members through growing, cooking and learning programmes, specifically in three key ways including the Green Doctor, Cooking with Confidence and Real Food on Tour. As of 2017, the project has helped to distribute 15,000 recipes across the community and educated more than 16,000 individuals via cooking courses, events and workshops. The Geodome at Manchester College is an indoor food growing system producing sustainable urban food. It offers educational opportunities from composting, recycling, food miles and carbon literacy.

The project also helps new food-focused businesses, social enterprises and markets to start up and develop.

The project is run by a partnership of organisations including a community housing group, the local hospital, a college, community hub and the city council. Real Food Wythenshawe partners with local businesses, the NHS, schools and community organisations.

Co-benefits

Through the project, consumption of fruit and vegetables has increased, benefiting the individual, the NHS and the environment. 72 growing groups have been supported helping to reduce food miles. Their meal in a bag programme has helped address food poverty and instigated long-term behaviour change in the way people cooked. By 2017, 832 students from primary and secondary schools had enjoyed learning at the Geodome. Community cohesion has been improved alongside engagement on climate change issues. Sustainable behaviours such as eating more healthily have become integrated into the normal way of life. Beneficiaries include community adults, children, learning disability groups, physically and mentally ill, the LGBT+ community, and people experiencing social isolation. Hard to reach groups, such as young people in crisis and the long-term unemployed, were also actively engaged.

“More than anything is the return of my positive attitude to life. I realise the importance of maintaining the things you love. I have made good friends here and I generally feel healthier eating seasonal, good quality food. I am a master butcher by trade but I now eat much more veg. I definitely focus much more on healthy eating now” Brian, Member, Macmillan Allotment.

Watch the video

Some useful links to tools and resources for food-related projects