UK could grow up to 40% of its own fruit and vegetables by using urban green spaces
If overlooked open spaces were used, dependence on overseas imports could be reduced, research finds
By Fiona Harvey, Environment correspondent
The Guardian
Jan 24, 2022
Excerpt:
Jess Davies, a professor of sustainability at Lancaster University and principal investigator of the study, said the UK had the potential for an urban agricultural revolution, by looking at ways to bring even a small amount of the available land into food production.
“The UK is really bad for not eating enough fresh fruit and vegetables, and this could make a real difference,” she said. “Even if you just put a small amount of it to use, you can boost fresh fruit and vegetable availability by a meaningful amount.”
This could have numerous benefits for people’s physical and mental health, from better nutrition but also from the exercise and time spent outdoors, and the satisfaction of producing healthy things to eat. Davies foresees other benefits, too, from giving people on low incomes access to cheap fresh food to learning new skills, and providing improved habitat for wildlife and pollinators.
At a time when allotment waiting lists around the country are vastly oversubscribed, looking afresh at neglected sites could bring new possibilities, according to Davies.
“This could be about communal activity – growing clubs, local societies, communal plots,” said Davies. “People engaged in growing have better diets, and healthier behaviours. Food growing is recreational, it counters loneliness and creates social cohesion.”
