Food crisis: can the UK feed itself? with Henry Dimbleby, Bonnie Wright and Victoria Prentis

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Event description:
Improving the food system is one of the greatest challenges we face today. As the National Food Strategy, led by Henry Dimbleby, notes, “the global food system is the single biggest contributor to biodiversity loss, deforestation, drought, freshwater pollution and the collapse of aquatic wildlife. It is the second-biggest contributor to climate change, after the energy industry.” The UK Government is due to publish its formal response in the form of a food strategy white paper this summer. This will be the Government’s chance to set out its vision and actions necessary to help turn the National Food Strategy’s recommendations into a reality. However, the Government cannot tackle this issue alone. A grassroots movement and engagement from across different sectors is required too.

Editor:
Jeeva Vasagar: Climate Editor, Tortoise Media

Guests:
Bonnie Wright: Actor, Activist and Author of ‘Go Gently’
Henry Dimbleby: Founder of Leon; Government Advisor and National Food Strategy Lead
Victoria Prentis MP: Minister of State at DEFRA

[carligarman]

What a great conversation about addressing the food crisis. Such great points and ideas brought up. Bravo.

[Pixieworksstudio]

Please, please can you campaign for people to grow their own food and have allotments. So many people want to have allotments and the lists are years long. On a recent youtube allotment video (Tony Smith), the plot next to the channel was let to somebody who had waited 9 years!!! Many, many people are on lists which are equally years long. Plus, some areas don't even have allotments but have many acres of council waste ground dotted around communities.
There must be a way for farmers to help with this crisis as well with interaction in rural areas where there isn't council land available. Loads of people are desperate to grow their own food (lots of schools do this too), it doesn't only help people to become more fit with regular exercise, it helps people to eat more healthy food, and it aids mental health in a big way. It encourages other things like storing food in long-term ways with dehydration and preserving - but it also discourages food waste, and encourages cooking. Gardening is also has a big business initiative in the UK, and should be greatly encouraged, but certainly doesn't need to be expensive, with lots of communities which have seed-saving clubs.
On your subject of children being interested in more healthy food - I see on allotment channels time and time again how children love to get involved in growing and helping to cook what they grow. At this time it seems the allotment movement is being completely ignored, whereas it could involve so many layers of social interaction, and only benefit people in the best ways possible. |I do not understand why not one person has mentioned the grow-your-own movement which is already huge in the UK but needs far more help with people on waiting lists who do not have gardens of their own.