GCV Green Network
Connecting Our Quality Spaces

Over recent years interest in locally grown food has increased dramatically largely through media coverage of organic produce, food miles, farmers markets, healthy diets and the rise of campaigning celebrity chefs. 

This public interest has been matched by statements at national and local government level in support of localised food growing and consumption in recognition of the potential health and social benefits. 

The Partnership’s aim is to bring about a step change in the opportunities for people to get involved in local food growing.  To this end the Partnership intend to bring together a range of interested parties who will promote and oversee the expansion of urban food growing across the region.

The SAGE study was commissioned by the Partnership in 2009 and aimed to explore levels of community interest as well as levels of demand for local growing initiatives across the Glasgow metropolitan region. 

It then sought to match this interest with opportunities to use different types of land on either a permanent or temporary basis. The study considered how growing initiatives might use:

• Vacant and Derelict Land
• Underused publically owned land such as areas within parks
• Large areas of amenity space with no particular function
• Private garden sharing

To raise awareness of how this might practically be done a suite of demonstration projects will be developed which will act as exemplars to bring about further action.

The Partnership is working with local authorities, housing associations, schools and community groups to develop these projects.

To find out more about the project you can access the SAGE report soon on this website.