Ambitious? Impossible? Pie-in-the sky? Or an issue that we need to seriously explore?
Producing more food in the city is the aim of Harvest Brighton and Hove, a new project launching on Monday 21st September. Brighton and Hove aims to become the growing capital of the UK – encouraging residents to start growing fruit and vegetables wherever there is an empty space – on balconies, rooftops, by the side of roads, on housing estates and in public spaces. The project will last for three years and is a Beacon project funded by the Big Lottery’s local food fund. The project is led by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership working with partners across the city including Food Matters, the University of Brighton, the City Council and the NHS Brighton and Hove.
Harvest will address the challenge of maintaining a sustainable and secure food supply in the face of climate change, peak oil and increasing global uncertainties. Growing our own food can bring enormous benefits to individuals through increased access to fresh food and exercise, but can it really make a serious contribution to the food supply of a City? Can it make a significant difference to the reduction of carbon emissions as well as health outcomes? Should Urban Agriculture be taken seriously by decision makers and supported through the planning system and other policy? Harvest will explore these and other issues throughout the duration of the project and aims to provide comprehensive data to help answer pressing questions about the future of our food supply. How will we feed our cities in the future?
The launch of Harvest Brighton and Hove will take place on Monday 21st September with a range of activities throughout the day, including an evening debate on the issues with Jonathon Porritt, former Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission.
For more information contact:
1. Vic Else, Director, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership 01237 431 700 or 07967 018402
2. Clare Devereux, Director, Food Matters Tel: 07803 002825
