The UK can use urban green space for agriculture, and reduce imports of fruit and vegetables.
Converting parks, playgrounds and open spaces in cities into agricultural areas, up to 40% of the needs fruit And the vegetables subordinate United kingdomThus the value of imports decreases: this is what emanates from the one national study On the potential for urban growth conducted by researchers at Lancaster University, who have highlighted the potential of neglected areas in English cities.
Of course, it must be said that the researchers certainly do not suggest plowing playgrounds and creative areas: their goal was to highlight the fact that allocating part of the “residue” of urban green land to the practice of communal farming can help improve people’s diets and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. And the consequences will also be seen at the social level: exercising in an open area can bring many benefits to physical and mental health, and people from low-income groups can get cheap fresh food.
The UK relies on imports for a third of its total food needs, and much more so for fruits and vegetables: however, with the cost of trade so high and British farmland already strained by intensive farming, this could represent an efficient and effective solution. “We no longer want to convert land for agricultural use because it leads to biodiversity loss and exacerbates climate change,” he commented. Jess Davis, Professor of Sustainability at Lancaster University and principal investigator on the study. But we have shown that it is not necessary: ​​there are many neglected urban resources. We hope this research will spark conversations about the potential.”
