Places to grow food in the city are on the map

April 23, 2021 6:48 am

A new interactive map shows places in Edinburgh where food is or could be grown by local communities.

The Edinburgh Food Growing and Projects Map has lots of detail of community growing projects, allotments and community gardens for people who want to become involved.

The aim of the Food Growing Strategy is to offer more opportunity to people for growing food locally, and in particular to look at possibly setting up an indoor local food market and distribution hub.

Councillor George Gordon, City of Edinburgh Sustainability Champion and Chair of Edible Edinburgh said: “I am delighted to publish the first food growing strategy for the City of Edinburgh Council. We have faced difficult times over the last year where the importance of food to our physical health and our emotional and mental wellbeing have been evident for all to see.

“By working closely with the Poverty Commission, Growing Locally seeks to address food insecurity in the city and improve people’s access to fresh food, as well as supporting and promoting food growing across the city.

“It also celebrates the role that food plays in our lives – from bringing people and communities together, to improving biodiversity and mitigating against the effects of climate change by providing access to locally produced, low carbon food.

“Along with the map, the strategy brings together our proposed approach to encouraging more local production, more sustainable management of food growing and perhaps most importantly of all, an ongoing discussion as a city about what a diverse and vibrant food economy looks like, so that the benefits of local food growing can be realised by as many of our citizens as possible.”

Brenda Black, CEO of Edinburgh Community Food said: “Food is key to Edinburgh’s identity and economy and the Edinburgh Food Growing and Project Map provides a gateway for everyone to be involved in making positive food connections within their communities across the city, building better understanding of food and its impact on climate change.

“As Edinburgh moves to meet its climate targets, providing access to growing spaces for its citizens will be a huge step forward in creating a vibrant, low-carbon, food economy for all. The pandemic has highlighted how fragile our food supply chains to the most isolated people in our city can be and the Edinburgh Food Growing and Projects Map is an opportunity for citizens to become actively involved in making connections within – and between – communities: growing, preparing/cooking, sharing and selling food.

“Active food communities build strong bonds that transcend religion, age, nationality and culture, and lead to a joint sense of purpose and care for local areas; furthermore, increasing the variety of food sources builds resilience and improves the City’s food security. Edinburgh needs a food identity that not only delivers local, seasonal, quality food to visitors but has the power to nurture healthier generations who are able to grow and make their own fresh food. Edinburgh Community Food will work together with the Edible Edinburgh partnership to ensure The Edinburgh Food Growing and Projects Map becomes a foundation of this initiative across the city.”