Creating Roots to Market in Glasgow

With funding from Veg Cities and Regional Food Fund – Connect Local, Glasgow organisations and the local authority have made inroads into connecting growers and the food service, including:

• Establishing the Glasgow Grower’s Cooperative and organised skill sharing and peer mentoring sessions
• Establishing a Chef’s network and organised the first Chef’s Challenge
• Facilitating Producer Markets to bring together growers and food service and chefs
• Preparing a Food Strategy and a Food Growing Strategy for Glasgow

Glasgow City Council has recently published a new Corporate Procurement and Commercial Improvement Strategy which includes their approach to ‘…suppliers’ fair working practices and ethicality, sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Supported Businesses, Co-operative Glasgow (to create opportunities for more Social Enterprises and Co-operatives), and Third Sector organisations.’ How this will be implemented in practise it remains to be seen but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

The Scottish Government has also been consulting on and preparing the Good Food National Bill which will include improved access to healthy local foods and sustainable food production. GCFN and others have been active partners in the consultation and look forward to continue to be involved.

Access to land continues to be a major barrier to the development of food growing enterprises (new and existing). One of the main recommendations for moving forward is for the local authority to actively work with food growing enterprises to identify and secure land and recognise ‘food production’ in the local planning system.

Read the full report and 2019 update.

Sustain are encouraging more areas to launch Veg Cities campaigns, and get local businesses and organisations making veg pledges. Veg Cities is a campaign of Sustainable Food Cities, and is run in partnership with Peas Please.