Food Strategy for Stroud District

Allotments, farms and all to be part of plans

Will there be a food crisis? This was the topic of a Coffee House Discussion last year - see my videos of the two presentations here - it is clear we are heading towards some very very challenging times. I don't need to spell out to regular readers of this blog the impacts of peak oil, climate change and a host of other challenges.

A Sunday Times article in 2009 looked at some of the what Transition Towns are doing - it notes the report, "Can Stroud District Feed Itself?" from December 2008, written by Former Green District councillor Fi Macmillan and Green Town Councillor Dave Cockcroft - both of Transition Stroud (you can download it here). Well now we are at last picking up on one of the recommendations of that report to establish a working group to take it forward - sadly there had been much hope it would be taken forward by the Local Strategic Partnership, the County and others - nothing really happened - well another Glos-wide strategy got written for GlosFirst but I understand that is also gathering dust....

The group of some 15 or so people who met Friday morning were diverse - farmers, a green economist, GRCC, LSP, SDC, TS and a host of other initials....they were very clear this was not going to be another strategy without actions - we need actions that are possible and have clear plans. Indeed there was talk of it being an 'action group'. We cannot afford to not act. Already alot of work had been done by several people there - one looking at funding opportunities, another at the background and there seemed to be a great energy amongst the participants to take this forward.....anyway more of this soon...