Residents helped to plant the fruit and vegetable saplings to be used by the whole community.
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Newham residents have planted the borough’s first ‘food forest’ this week to promote healthier eating and raise awareness of climate change.
Members of the community and borough councillors joined environmentalist group ClimateYouChange, at the Katherine Road Community Centre, to plant a variety of fruit and vegetables free for the community to use.
A food forest is a small, self-contained garden layered with trees and plants designed to support the growth of produce limiting the use of industrial chemicals and avoiding extensive supervision.
ClimateYouChange said benefits of the forest include a lower rate of greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional farming methods.
It also provides residents with a place to acquire organic food without a steep price tag attached.
The seven layers of a food forest. Credit: Graham Burnett, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Celia Wain-Heapy, founder of ClimateYouChange, said: “I started [the charity] because I was seeing BBC articles [on climate change] and as they started to become one a day, I just became so conscious of the fact that we have to really act now, because it’s going to be too late.
“Food forests are a more secure, more sustainable way of growing food that we need to incorporate into our lives to secure a more sustainable growing future.”
Over six million tonnes of food are produced every year to supply London, with 99 per cent of produce being imported from outside the capital.
78 per cent of emissions from London’s food supply chain come from imported food.
The group hopes the forest will help create an understanding of how DIY gardening and farming can save money and cultivate a healthier local environment.
Shovels in the ground for Newham’s first food forest Credit: Joe Boudling City News
The forest is supported by a grant from Newham Council’s People Powered Places scheme, which allows residents to vote on which local projects should be allocated resources from borough’s £1.6m Community Infrastructure Levy fund.
Councillor Mohammed Gani, who joined the planting, stressed that projects like this are ‘really of importance to the community’.
The forest will need community care and supervision to survive what could be a difficult first year.
Weed growth will have to be kept in check, and pruning and mulching is required to encourage sustainable development.
ClimateYouChange hopes the food forest will benefit the whole community and eventually be one of many in Newham and East London.
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HeadlineNewham residents can now grow their own free produce in new food forest
Short HeadlineNewham's first food forest is planted by residents
Standfirst78 per cent of emissions from London's food supply chain come from imported food
Newham residents have planted the borough’s first ‘food forest’ this week to promote healthier eating and raise awareness of climate change.
Members of the community and borough councillors joined environmentalist group ClimateYouChange, at the Katherine Road Community Centre, to plant a variety of fruit and vegetables free for the community to use.
A food forest is a small, self-contained garden layered with trees and plants designed to support the growth of produce limiting the use of industrial chemicals and avoiding extensive supervision.
ClimateYouChange said benefits of the forest include a lower rate of greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional farming methods.
It also provides residents with a place to acquire organic food without a steep price tag attached.
The seven layers of a food forest. Credit: Graham Burnett, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Celia Wain-Heapy, founder of ClimateYouChange, said: “I started [the charity] because I was seeing BBC articles [on climate change] and as they started to become one a day, I just became so conscious of the fact that we have to really act now, because it’s going to be too late.
“Food forests are a more secure, more sustainable way of growing food that we need to incorporate into our lives to secure a more sustainable growing future.”
Over six million tonnes of food are produced every year to supply London, with 99 per cent of produce being imported from outside the capital.
78 per cent of emissions from London’s food supply chain come from imported food.
The group hopes the forest will help create an understanding of how DIY gardening and farming can save money and cultivate a healthier local environment.
Shovels in the ground for Newham’s first food forest Credit: Joe Boudling City News
The forest is supported by a grant from Newham Council’s People Powered Places scheme, which allows residents to vote on which local projects should be allocated resources from borough’s £1.6m Community Infrastructure Levy fund.
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