With 99 per cent of the food and drinks consumed in London being
brought in from outside the capital[1], the Mayor
must undertake a London-wide review of food growing sites and
identify new land for food growing, says the London Assembly
Environment Committee.
It has today published its report – London: A
Growing City? – which outlines the key barriers to food
growing in London, and what the Mayor can do to increase
community food growing.
Access to land was highlighted to
the Committee as a key barrier for
Londoners to grow food, with unused land that could be used for
food growing requiring local authorities and other stakeholders
to agree and ensure the right facilities are in place.[2]
A recent report by Rootz into Food Growing identified specific
barriers for minorities, highlighting how
minority communities usually live in urban settings
with difficulty accessing green spaces and consequently, nature's
health benefits.[3]
Key recommendations in the Committee report include:
- The Mayor should work with boroughs to undertake a
London-wide review of food growing sites across the capital and
identify opportunities for making new land available for
Londoners to grow food, including new allotments, community
farms and orchards.
- Ahead of the 2026-27 budget, the Mayor should set out the
steps he intends to take to make London's food system more
resilient by end of this Mayoral term. This should include
supporting the Right to Grow campaign.
- The Mayor should convene stakeholders across London to
agree actions to reduce barriers for ‘Black, Brown, and
minority-led' food growing projects.
Zack Polanski AM, Chair of the
London Assembly Environment Committee, said:
“In a city where more than half of households now live in
flats – often with limited access to personal gardens - community
food growing sites offer Londoners access to land to grow
food.
“Food growing has a number of clear benefits – it teaches us
how to be more sustainable, builds a sense of community and
reduces the impact on the environment, with less need for
outsourcing food into London.
“Through our investigation we heard from a number of
community food growing groups who highlighted to us the barriers
that prevent more Londoners growing food.
“Access to land was a key issue, which is why we are calling
on the Mayor to carry out a review of available land for
potential further food growing sites.
“We are also calling on the Mayor to commit ongoing funding
to London-wide food growing networks to help improve the access
for Londoners to grow their own food.
"London is a huge city, with great resources - it would be
inspiring for Londoners to be supported properly to grow more
food."
Notes to editors:
