Project 2021-22 Funded by Arup
IEL worked with Arup, the landscape architecture consultants, on a research project to better understand the barriers, challenges and opportunities for community food growing in an urban setting.
Our objective was to empower urban communities to optimize open spaces for local food production.
We interviewed 12 officers and councillors and 16 community leaders and growers from Lambeth, Camden and Newham.
We asked officers and councillors questions about what they have in place to support food growing, and what are their strategies, actions and decision making processes for community led food growing.
We asked community members and growers how their group managed to get some land; how they established their group; how they decided on their governance and how they managed conflict.
Key learning from conversations with Council leaders:
- Most of the questions we asked, the councillors or officers were not equipped to answer, referring us to another department
- Allocation of land is managed by Housing, which might not value food growing
- Food growing intersects many departments (public health, climate change, planning, housing) but there is no cross departmental officer working on food
- Food growing has not been recognized as an aid to tackle climate change, biodiversity and food insecurity
Key learning from our conversations with community food growers:
- At the set up stage, communities didn’t know where to begin
- Communities don’t know who to turn to in the council for support
- Projects often rely heavily on one person
- Communities need help with governance, sourcing funds and conflict resolution
Key recommendations to Councils:
- Create a role in the Council to support food growing
- Create a land lease agreement for all community growing spaces
- Enable more joined up thinking across departments to reduce red tape and promote food growing
- Create a “how to manage community gardens” handbook for Council employees
Key recommendations to food growers (and IEL):
- Develop clear lines of communication with landowner or key Council employees
- Create a “how to set up and manage a community garden guide – include how to raise funds, how to manage conflict, how to build good governance within the group
- Better together – join a network of growers to share ideas and feel supported