Food is universal, breaking bread and bringing people together across differences. Redesigning our food system – what we eat; how we grow, make and distribute food; how it’s packaged, sold and disposed of – holds the key to creating a socially just and environmentally sustainable world.
Our high reliance on food imports and dependence on carbon-intensive practices is not sustainable. In Tower Hamlets, many people, communities and organisations are responding to local symptoms of a food system in crisis: establishing food co-ops, setting up community kitchens and growing spaces, sharing knowledge through workshops and creating mutual aid spaces for grassroots solutions to food injustice. Their commitment, energy, passion and fundamental sense of justice is the driving force between Recipes for a Revolution, our new research publication highlighting local food justice policy recommendations.
Building on two years of participatory research, we hope that the seeds that we laid can begin to bloom, providing us with a clear path forward: a recipe for change.
Current policy treats food as an industry, rather than the foundation of a good life, and focuses on increasing profits over access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food. We outline a series of policy recommendations drawn from the local community, while also taking a decolonial approach and painting the wider picture of historic and current food injustice in Tower Hamlets and beyond. We honour the organising work that is already happening and that has been active for centuries, while also looking forward to the bright future our communities deserve.
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We invite all members of the Tower Hamlets community – from artists to food organisations, from councillors to residents – to join this local food justice movement. We look forward to hearing from you!