Urban Britain’s Potential as a ‘Grow your Own’ Nation.

Rurban Revolution is a research project led by academics from Lancaster, Liverpool and Cranfield Universities. It focuses on the potential of urban food growing to transform our food system to be healthier, fairer and more sustainable.

We want to share groundbreaking research to support and inform food growers across the network. In this article we look at how urban green spaces in Great Britain, at their upper limit, have the capacity to support production that is 8× greater than the current domestic production of fruit and vegetables.

The Landing, Rooftop Farm, Stockport

“Urban agriculture and more people ‘growing their own’ could play an important role in reducing our reliance on imports, and bolster resilience against disruptions in supply, without converting areas of nature to agriculture, or further intensifying farming. But it was not clear what the extent of that role could be at a national scale, until now.” Professor Jess Davies

Oestergro Rooftop Farm, Copenhagen.

Britain’s towns and cities have the potential to support an urban agricultural revolution that would help meet the dietary needs of a growing population, boost the nation’s health and wellbeing, as well as reduce reliance on imports, a new study reveals.

In the first national-level study of its kind, a team of researchers led by scientists at Lancaster University set out to discover if there is sufficient green space, such as private gardens, parks and other recreational areas, within our towns and cities to grow enough fresh food to feed local populations.

Make Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.

The UK relies heavily on imports to meet its demand for fresh food, with more than a third of food coming from overseas. This can leave the nation exposed to disruptions in supply chains, such as those recently experienced with Brexit and Covid-19, leaving some shelves empty. And climate change presents another rising threat to these supplies, as much of our fresh fruit and veg comes from drought-prone regions.

“Britain is a densely-populated country that is highly reliant on imported fresh fruit and vegetables, and meeting the dietary needs of a growing urban population in a sustainable manner is a significant challenge,” said Professor Jess Davies, Principal Investigator of the study. “Finding ways in which Britain could increase food self-sufficiency is of increasing importance for securing our future food supply.

“Urban agriculture and more people ‘growing their own’ could play an important role in reducing our reliance on imports, and bolster resilience against disruptions in supply, without converting areas of nature to agriculture, or further intensifying farming. But it was not clear what the extent of that role could be at a national scale, until now.”

To read the full article and and explore the research findings click below.