What we talk about

The Right to Grow as a policy framework: what it asks of councils and why it matters for London’s food security. The barriers communities face when trying to access public land for growing, from complex leases and absent points of contact to fear among councils of losing development potential. The tension between housing need and green space access, particularly in boroughs like Tower Hamlets. How food growing connects people across cultures and generations, from Bangladeshi grandmothers sharing growing knowledge to nursery children planting their first seeds. The role of seed swaps, cookbooks and walking tours in drawing new people into the movement. Why food growing belongs in the school curriculum. The intersection between food growing, biodiversity, wellbeing and London’s identity as a National Park City. What success looks like in five years: every London borough adopting or working towards a Right to Grow policy, dedicated funding for community food growing, and training programmes to support new garden leaders.

Key moments

Carmen describes how a plot of unused land in Tower Hamlets has sat empty since 2011 while the community has spent five years trying to access it for a garden. Tori shares how Incredible Edible Lambeth spent two years mapping every barrier to food growing in the borough before joining the national campaign. Selene talks about the power of simply smiling at your neighbours and how a community hub grew from those everyday conversations. Kalpana highlights how food growing creates “sticky economies” where communities generate craft, cooking, networking and enterprise alongside the growing itself. The group discusses how food bank usage in London has tripled in six years and why community food autonomy is part of the answer.

Boroughs currently pursuing Right to Grow

Southwark (first London borough to pass the motion), Hackney and Hounslow, with more in development.