Food

Food can bring communities together, supporting good health and mental wellbeing through sharing meals, spaces to grow food and market events. Food insecurity is exacerbated by poverty and the cost of living crisis. Charitable organisations and food banks are relied upon, increasingly so in the UK. Limited food which caters for the cultural diversity of the area prevents refugees and people seeking asylum accessing the food they want and need.

Approximately 11% of people in the Glasgow area have been affected by food insecurity at least once in the previous year. Between August and September 2021, 14,237 emergency food parcels were distributed through Trussell Trust foodbanks in Glasgow. Access to fresh and nutritious food helps tackle issues such as obesity. Over 60% of adults in Glasgow are obese or overweight. Glasgow has three market gardens, 90 growing spaces and 32 allotment sites. The Govan Growers are located less than 1km from the Govan shipyards. Providing opportunities for green spaces enables improvements to community wellbeing, production of locally sourced fresh fruit and vegetables and provides environmental benefits by making use of vacant and derelict land.

Can you come up with any solutions to tackle food insecurity and increase accessibility and variety of food in Govan?

24. Healthy eating

Social enterprises in Govan such as Moogety Food and the Govan Pantry bring the community together, promote healthy eating and provide food in a dignified way. What ideas can you come up with to increase local knowledge of access and availability of nutritious food refugees and people seeking asylum require and are familiar with?

25. Food accessibility

Supply chains for food banks are often ad hoc and lack variety. Halal and more fresh food including fruit, vegetables and fish for those who have medical or cultural dietary requirements are often limited. Can you come up with any solutions to improve food accessibility and the transparency of supply, demand and waste?

26. Food security

Glasgow’s Food Growing Strategy aims to use space better to facilitate community food production and promote health and mental wellbeing. What opportunities do you see for Govan’s spaces that enable community aspirations and food security?

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