The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has unveiled a selection of the best ideas that could help transform the UK into a sustainable society in its new Breakthroughs for the 21st Century project, to promote community gardening and local food.
The SDC announced the project at an event with TV presenter Jonathan Dimbleby and Rosie Boycott, food advisor to London Mayor Boris Johnson and HRH the Prince of Wales in London today.
The conference brought together 400 high-level community, business, public service and government representatives to discuss how to make the ideas a national reality.
The SDC’s Breakthroughs project is aimed at identifying the ideas with the most potential for tackling climate change, resource depletion and inequality.
Incredible Edible Todmorden, a project pioneered in West Yorkshire to increase the amount of local food grown and eaten within the community, was praised by SDC commissioners and included in the final selection of 19 ideas to be showcased.
Also selected were proposals around rethinking community gardening, giving the community a stake in growing food on public and private land, submitted by Matthew Taylor and Steve Broome of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and the use of biochar for capturing carbon from waste while enriching soils, submitted by Professor Tim Lenton and Dr Zoe Wallage of the University of East Anglia.
Pam Warhusts of Incredible Edible Todmorden said: “Incredible Edible Todmorden aims to increase the amount of local food grown in both public and private spaces, and eaten within the town. Businesses, schools, farmers and the community are all involved. We believe that local food is the door to a sustainable lifestyle, and that food is a trigger for greater engagement with the big issues like climate change and health. It cuts across age, income, race and class. In Todmorden, vegetables and fruit are springing up everywhere. Public flower beds are being transformed into community herb gardens and vegetable patches.”
SDC chair Jonathon Porritt said: “Every community can be inspired to act more sustainably by growing and consuming local food. Reconnecting farmers and consumers, and reconnecting people with the land by getting them involved in pro-community gardening, is key.”
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