Rootz Into Food Growing
Image by Javie Huxley
Rootz into Food Growing is a collaboration project between Ubele, OrganicLea, Black Rootz, Land In Our Names (LION). It is a 15 month programme (November 2020 – February 2022).
The project aims to more clearly identify, understand, plan and implement a series of interventions which subsequently reduce barriers to entry into the social enterprise growing system and begin to identify appropriate land for commercial food growing purposes. It will promote food justice by identifying and training a new generation of BPOC growers who are empowered to develop their own food growing systems and enterprises; grow local, culturally appropriate and indigenous food (which can be grown in the UK) which is often imported and sold at inflated prices; encourage people of all ages from BPOC communities to create social enterprises, thereby creating livelihoods.
This research project was undertaken in winter 2021 to shed light on the experiences of the few Black / people of colour (BPOC) with experience of growing food for social enterprise and sustaining livelihoods in and around London. This report is based on interviews with food growers past and present. We asked about their journeys into food growing and enterprise, the challenges and opportunities in a city with limited spaces for growing and selling produce.
Photograph by Sandra - GoGrowWithLove
