To support the emerging Food Growing Strategy, we wanted to have a better picture of the interest and demand for additional food growing spaces and other types of support. We asked whether people would like to grow more food in their community and if so, what are the barriers they experience and how could we help?
We received over 200 comments from a mix of individuals, community groups and schools, suggesting a keen interest in the topic. We identified key issues such as the lack of suitable growing space and knowledge on how to grow and use the produce.
We summarised the points and ideas from representations and used these to develop a draft strategy and action plan. The draft was approved by committee on 28th October 2020. There will be opportunities to feedback on the draft through a survey and online events - dates and details for these will be published soon on the Consultation Hub.
Over 200 comments have been received to the survey, showing interest in food growing from a variety of groups and individuals. The comments highlighted that there is demand across Perth and Kinross for more space as well as other types of support for those who would like to start to grow their own or grow more than currently. We have prepared a short summary of the key messages and a report with the detailed results
The results will help inform the emerging Food Growing Strategy and will feed into the first consultation draft. The action plan of the strategy will look at how the barriers to food growing could be removed and what needs to be done to create more opportunities for those who would like to grow their own. Further engagement with growing groups, communities and other organisations will help shape the action plan and facilitate its delivery.
The Scottish Government has set out a vision that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.”
The Council has a statutory duty, set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, to prepare a Food Growing Strategy that identifies potentially suitable land for allotments and other food growing areas. There is also a specific requirement to note how the Council intends to increase food growing provision in communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.
In developing a food growing strategy for the Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) area the Council is committed to delivering the wider benefits associated with food growing including:
In delivering these benefits the food growing strategy will also assist in meeting the key objectives in the PKC Local Outcome Improvement Plan.
The Food Growing Strategy offers the opportunity to link together the different organisations and stakeholders with an interest in food growing and provide a framework for a joined up approach to encourage an increase in food growing spaces across PKC.
The Consultation aims to identify opportunities to:
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