(GP):..This is not just a food security issue. It is also an
issue of public health. In 2018, only 28% of adults were eating
the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
The average was 3.7 portions and only 18% of children aged five
to 15 ate five standard portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
Horticulture is a public health issue. Indeed, this is recognised
in the National Food
Strategy which has a target of a 30% increase in
fruit and vegetable consumption in the UK by 2032, but that
raises a key question. Where are these fruit and vegetable crops
going to come from?
One aspect that has not yet been touched on is the potential for
urban horticulture, which is largely overlooked in
the National Food
Strategy However, it was historically important.
In the UK during the “Dig for Victory” campaign, 18% of fruit and
vegetables that the population ate were grown domestically in
allotments and gardens. With more than 84% of the population in
the UK now living in cities and towns, this is an area we need to
look at, and that requires education. A study in Sheffield,
admittedly a very green city, showed that if domestic gardens and
potential and existing sites for allotments and community gardens
were utilised, Sheffield could be 122% self-sufficient in
vegetables and fruit.
For context, CLICK HERE
