*Exclusive*
Glasgow is set to take its place in an international network of cities using integrated food policies to tackle climate change while achieving a food system that is equitable, sustainable and healthy. Those are the words of Pete Ritchie (pictured below), executive director of Nourish Scotland., who chaired the launch of the ambitious Glasgow City Food Plan (Tuesday June 15, 2021).
The wide-ranging 10-year plan comes ahead of the COP26 UN climate change conference in the city, and aligns with the Glasgow Food & Climate Declaration – a commitment by subnational governments to tackle the climate emergency through integrated food policies and to call on national governments to act. The Food and Climate Action Glasgow (FCAG) works in partnership with a variety of organisations including Glasgow Community Food Network (GCFN), Glasgow Eco Trust and Urban Roots. The FCAG project, pictured below at its launch on World Environment Day, is directly aligned to the Glasgow City Food Plan.
The Glasgow City Food Plan has been developed by the Glasgow Food Policy Partnership (GFPP) and has been two years in the making. So far over 600 people and organisations from across Glasgow have been involved in shaping the developing the plan which underwent a public consultation last autumn. Over 80 multisector stakeholders – including the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, Glasgow Community Food Network, Challenge Child Poverty, Nourish Scotland, Trussell Trust, Glasgow University, Glasgow Allotments Forum, Zero Waste Scotland and City of Glasgow College - have committed to seeing it through. The implementation of the plan will be the responsibility of GFPP, which will report annually and publicly on progress.
Some of the Glasgow-specific challenges the City Food Plan aims to tackle include food poverty, obesity (over 60% of adults and 20% of P1 children are overweight or obese), a lack of fruit and vegetables in the diet, food education, and the fact that with 30% of greenhouse gas emissions arising from the global food system, Glasgow City Council has already committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Pete Ritchie of Nourish Scotland who chaired the launch of the ambitious Glasgow City Food Plan
The plan is divided into 76 short- and medium-term actions, deliverable within two and five years respectively). Persuading developers to ensure growing spaces are integrated into new housing developments and have value in the planning decisions is one of the medium-term actions, as is significantly increasing Glasgow’s food-growing capacity by scaling-up allotments and community growing and creating urban farms. In the short term, improving learning about the food system in the education curriculum in schools and colleges, increasing the proportion of locally sourced, low-carbon food served in public sector catering, and using food vouchers at a wider range of affordable farmers’ markets.
Abi Mordin, Chair of GFPP, said: “I’m really proud to have been part of the team working on the City Food Plan. I’m excited by the whole systems and holistic approach we’ve taken, and the collaborative work that has gone into this. We’ve tried to make sure that the 76 joined up actions will pave the way for Glasgow to be a city where good, healthy, ecologically produced food is affordable and accessible for all.”
Pete Ritchie, chair of the launch attended by over 400 people, said: “The Glasgow City Food Plan is quite an achievement as it engages so many important collaborators willing to embrace the city’s specific food, health and climate challenges.
“So often plans like this get produced by a few people in a room then don’t see the light of day. This one feels like it belongs to a lot of good people, organisations and businesses who are all committed to taking worthwhile and lasting action to lift Glasgow into the emerging global food framework.”
The Times published a version of this story on June 15, 2021