Agroecological food production for health and net-zero: exploring implementation pathways for an agroecological urbanism

Agroecology is a way of farming that regenerates soil, boosts biodiversity, reduces CO2, and treats both workers and consumers with dignity. Urban areas and greenbelts can support agroecological farms, providing communities with nutritious, fairly produced food while reducing environmental impacts and increasing resilience to climate change and other crises. However, policymakers often lack knowledge on how to support this shift. This project will work with farming businesses in Leeds and Bristol to gather evidence on agroecology’s benefits and challenges. Together with stakeholders, the project will co-design practical steps to help policymakers accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems.

Project lead: Chiara Tornaghi (Coventry University)

Project collaborators: Andy Goldring (Chief Executive of Permaculture Association, Britain, and co-coordinator of Climate Action Leeds), Rebecca Laughton (Landworkers Alliance), Maddy Longhurst (Urban Agriculture Consortium and the Policy Influencers Network Group, PING)