Food for thought – Liverpool’s urban agriculture goals
Greater Liverpool Food Alliance held its first conference today with a view to creating a range of economically-viable urban agriculture enterprises within the city.
The conference brought together public sector bodies, charities, community associations and environmental activists to discuss ways of ‘greening the city’, using urban agriculture to deliver social objectives such as improved diet, enhanced food security and reduced dependency on oil.
Seventeen per cent of the oil used in the UK is used by the food industry for transport, processing and packaging.
Keynote speakers at the event, organized by Urbanag CIC, were Max Steinberg (Chief Executive, Liverpool Vision, Liverpool); Paul Osborn (Mediateurs, Uithoorn, Netherlands); Jenny Hall (Climate Friendly Food, St Helen’s); Patricia Foreman (Chief Executive, Food Northwest, Runcorn).
Gary Herman, of Urbanag CIC, said: “Urban agriculture is a hot topic today, and most schemes concentrate on urban agriculture as a means of delivering certain important social objectives.
“The difference between us and other similar schemes is our focus on economic viability. Urban agriculture is rapidly becoming part of the mainstream economy in other countries and we need to begin to catch up.
“Our aim is to make urban agriculture in Liverpool one of the key industries for a low-carbon, post-industrial society and a source of job creation and urban renewal.”
Liverpool Vision commissioned Urbanag to develop the initial stages of the food alliance and delegates at GLFA represented a range of interests including Local Authorities, the PCT, churches, small businesses and ‘local food’ enthusiasts.
Jerry Spencer, Enterprise Manager at Liverpool Vision, said: “As a result of this conference we hope Liverpool will take its place in a global network of cities adopting urban agriculture, reaching from Shanghai to Seattle.
“Liverpool’s people will thrive on a healthier diet and the activity involved in local food production, and the growing demand for locally-sourced food offers significant economic opportunities.
“Urban agriculture can also help deliver quality of place by enhancing Liverpool’s environment through the imaginative use of the city’s green spaces – orchards where there is waste ground, vegetable gardens on every estate, roof gardens and vertical farms within city-centre buildings.”
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact Jonathan Caswell at Liverpool Vision on 0151 600 2946 or via email: jcaswell@liverpoolvision.co.uk
Contact name: Jonathan Caswell
Contact email: jcaswell@liverpoolvision.co.uk
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