The onus is now on the public to ensure long-term sustainability and food security as the fresh produce industry has made ‘rapid progress’ in tackling issues such as climate change and oil depletion, according to an expert in the field.
Dr Howard Lee, sustainability co-ordinator at Hadlow College, has praised the industry for its foresight in dealing with sustainability issues and urged the public to take a ‘bottom up’ approach.
Lee criticised the lack of progress at international level with targets set at the Rio and Kyoto world summits still ‘barely being approached’.
Speaking at the launch of Hadlow College’s summer exhibition Lee told freshinfo: “There’s lots of talking but no walking at international level so we have to look at growing your own, embracing rooftop gardens, redeveloping brownfield lands outside cities and re-invigorating the old idea of the market garden in the peri-urban zones around cities.
“The biggest challenge is in urban areas where 80 per cent of the UK’s population lives and we are seeing grow-our-own type activities springing up all over London.
“Most businesses have already been quite progressive in saving energy, because it saves money, and have been astute in dealing with changing circumstances rather than just ignoring the issue. One good approach is to re-examine the emissions of your vehicle fleet and see what effect that is having.
“Community allotments also allow great opportunities for small to medium-sized businesses to help people grow and capitalise on the need for their skill, goods and expertise from the public.
“Supermarkets could have significant problems long-term with their size and scale meaning sourcing locally, and dealing with dwindling fuel supplies, could really hit them hard though I’m sure they’re taking measures already.”
Lee praised initiatives such as Transition Towns, such as Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, where groups have been formed to look at peak oil and climate change issues and form a long-term ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’.
The inaugural Hadlow College Summer Exhibition was officially launched on Tuesday where visitors were invited to view students’ sustainability-related projects ahead of a week of events in relation to horticulture and landscape management.
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