Have your say on capital’s Food Growing Strategy

Edinburgh folk are being encouraged to have their say on the Council’s first food growing strategy.

The strategy aims to encourage people to get more involved in local food production, promote local and sustainable consumption and help improve issues such as biodiversity, health, food security and address poverty in the capital.

Supported by Edible Edinburgh, the Growing Locally consultation is looking for people’s views on food growing, from growing in gardens and allotments or as part of a community growing project.

The consultation is looking to find out:

• Ways in which the purchase of local and sustainable food could be increased, to help to reduce the city’s carbon emissions as well as supporting the Edinburgh’s green recovery from covid-19.
• Feedback on ways in which local food growing could help to reduce food poverty and improve health and wellbeing.
• How the Council and others in the city can help support people to become more involved in local growing.

Edible Edinburgh chair, Councillor George Gordon, said: “The Growing Locally strategy aims to reduce carbon emissions, support local food growing businesses, increase land availability for food growing, reduce inequalities and increase awareness and choice around healthy and sustainable food.

“We are calling for citizens to contribute to the consultation as to how they feel local food growing can help respond to these challenges, as well as help create a vibrant and thriving sustainable food economy in Edinburgh for everyone.”

Brenda Black, Director of Edinburgh Community Food and member of Edible Edinburgh said: “The Growing Locally strategy aims to help promote better food relationships within our communities by connecting people through well-being, through encouraging local growing and consumption of healthy and sustainable food. This consultation provides the opportunity to hear your views on how we can help tackle these issues together as a city.“

The draft food growing strategy was first approved for consultation by Council Committee in February 2020, but the online consultation was delayed due to the outbreak of covid-19.

The consultation will run until 18 January 2021 and will be supported through a series of online events published on the Edible Edinburgh website.

Have your say on the Growing Locally strategy via the consultation hub.