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Since its formation in September 1996 the QED Allotments Group has monitored developments in other areas relating to food production, distribution and consumption impacting on Local Agenda 21. The issues which are now being addressed by Local Agenda 21 initiatives around the country are too important and too wide-ranging to be covered adequately by this "watching brief", and we therefore propose to the QED Steering Group that a QED Food Forum be established to address these issues properly, and where possible to promote initiatives to generate a more sustainable local food economy. Relevant issues include:
- Local food production (other than allotment gardening), such as bee-keeping and community orchards
- Healthy eating (an issue currently addressed by the QED Health Group)
- "Food miles" and transport pollution reduction (an issue which overlaps the interests of the QED Transport Group)
- Local marketing, including Farmers' and WI markets and other local food links, including links with other LA21 Food Initiatives in Kent
- Local impact of the testing and use of genetically modified organisms (an issue which overlaps the interests of the QED Health and Biodiversity Groups)
- Local food indicators
We propose that a short statement be produced and circulated to interested parties in the Dartford area outlining the issues to be addressed and inviting their participation. An inaugural meeting should be held in advance of the Dartford Festival, to organise a display of materials on these issues to be included in the QED Marquee. The Group will be formally launched at the Festival, and the opportunity will be taken to solicit support from the general public at that time. Both the inaugural meeting (which will be held in May 1999) and the subsequent launch (which will be dependent, of course, on adequate interest being expressed at the inaugural meeting) will be announced as widely as possible in advance through the local media. If this proposal meets with the approval of the QED Steering Group, Dr Wiltshire will take responsibility for producing the short statement and work with the Secretary of QED in its distribution. The QED Allotments Group will provide a Chair to host the inaugural meeting, and make available one of its two display trellises for use by the QED Food Forum at the Dartford Festival.
Participants in the activities of the QED Food Forum could include ...
- Members of the QED Allotments, Health, Biodiversity and Transport Groups
- Local food growers/producers (eg. allotment gardeners, bee-keepers, farmers) and their representative organisations
- Local food producers/distributors (eg. Womens Institutes, local food retailers)
- Environmental groups with interests in food issues
- Dartford Borough Council Environmental Health (to cover food hygiene issues)
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Just published by the SAFE Alliance - the Food Indicators Toolkit by Alexis Vaughan. ISBN 1899779 558 Price: Institutions (£10/£5), individuals & local groups (£5/£2.50) (first copy/subsequent copies) To order call the SAFE Alliance at 0171-837-8980,Fax 0171-837-1141, or e-mail to safe@gn.apc.org The QED Allotments Group was involved in a workshop to test the Toolkit in St. Albans last autumn. The Toolkit will be useful to any group that wishes to investigate and act on food issues at the local level - such as the proposed QED Food Forum.
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QED Allotments Group Research Officer Richard Wiltshire and Warwick University student Janine Coop pictured at the St Albans Workshop which tested the Food Issue Toolkit (Photo supplied by the SAFE Alliance) |
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