Kingston community food growing: towards net zero through inclusion
This project brings researchers from several universities, the Kingston Good Food Network, and two local community organisations involved in food growing. The goal is to study the effects of urban-community food growing on achieving net-zero targets, improving local food systems, and benefitting communities.
The project aims to support the development of a strategy for urban food growing throughout the borough, with a focus on creating circular food systems. Working closely with two community food growers, the research team will co-design and co-produce an evaluation scheme. This scheme will help us better understand the impact of urban-community food growing initiatives.
The project focuses on three main areas: first, establishing sustainable food systems and contributing to net-zero emission goals; second, strengthening local communities by promoting positive behavioural changes, inclusion, and community engagement; and finally, providing insights and support to shape a comprehensive strategy for urban food growing across the entire borough.
Project lead: Ronald Ranta, Kingston University
Project members: Kingston Good Food Network; Aulaw Organic Farm, New Malden; Robin Hutchinson, The Community Brain; Hilda Mulrooney, Kingston University; Sarah Sumpter, Kingston University; Nevena Nancheva, Roehampton University; Dee Bhakta, London Metropolitan University; Rounaq Nayak, Bournemouth University
Findings
- Interest and involvement in food growing is currently siloed, with some groups heavily invested in it while others have no involvement. Identifying how food growing can be encouraged and enabled is essential to increase local food production.
- Significant barriers to involvement in food growing were apparent. These include lack of personal resources (e.g. knowledge, resources such as access to land, equipment, seeds and time) as well as local resources (e.g. accessible space within an urban environment). Local leadership, commitment and resources are needed to drive increased engagement.
- Local policy change is needed to support food growing. This includes access to shared space in new builds, potentially reducing allotment sizes to increase accessibility and reduce waiting lists and use of public spaces to grow herbs and crops. Such policy action is needed across different departments so a joined-up approach is needed – a ‘growing in every policy’ type approach.
- Food growing has multiple potential benefits, beyond contributing to increased food resilience within localities. It has social benefits which contribute to shared identity, sense of belonging and community resilience. As part of an assets-based approach, harnessing already active spaces and groups should be integral to building upon and expanding existing growing activities.
- As part of a joined-up approach, the contribution of increased food growing towards existing (and future) policy priorities should be identified and highlighted. For example, food growing can contribute towards improved mental and physical health and wellbeing, working towards net zero, reduced waste including food waste, inclusion and food security.
Suggestions for further research
Local food growing has potential to help mitigate against food insecurity which is disproportionately experienced by different groups and support our drive towards Net Zero. Understanding the barriers to involvement and how those could be overcome locally, and engaging local authorities in this work is needed. We want to build upon our local work to engage neighbouring boroughs to understand what problems and solutions may be commonly experienced (since solutions may be scalable and cost-effective if shared). We also want to better understand specific issues in relation to engagement in food growing in different groups, as well as the specific benefits that may be accrued by them (for example the Au Law Farm work demonstrated the importance of growing Asian vegetables as part of community identity and belonging among specific demographics). The impact of local food growing on community identity, resilience and food insecurity needs to be explored.
