Food has an incredible ability to bring people together, and for this reason, it has the capacity to bring positive change to the way we treat our environment, and the people in our community.  According to the Global Health Observatory (GHO) in 2014, 54% of the worlds population live in urban built-up areas, and this will only continue to grow.  Not only are we increasingly segregated from the natural environment, but also putting great pressure on farmers, growers, and producers to keep up with the demand of providing food to thriving towns and cities.  

 

Urban dwellers have enjoyed the luxury of choice, as grocery chains ship produce from across the seas to provide the same fruit and vegetables all year round, regardless of the season. We've developed unhealthy expectations about how, when and where we should be able to purchase food.  Not only is it detrimental to the environment, but also to our hard-working farmers.  

 

A shift in thinking is required from players who have an undoubtedly important role to play in re-designing the system.  Architects, Landscape Architects, Interior Designers, Industrial Designers, Urban Planners and Entrepreneurs who have trained in design and innovative thinking have the capacity and the skills to contribute to a solution.  It takes enthusiasm and imagination and a willingness to make a long term, and powerful impact that will help to feed our growing cities.  

 

Rooftop and Community vegetable gardens are only just a fraction of the solution.  It takes a universal shift in attitude, which can be implemented through tweaks in culture and social expectations.  Not only must we develop tangible infrastructure to tackle the problem, but inspire change on a cultural level as well. 

 

Where does our food come from?  

How much of it are we wasting? 

How is the changing climate going to impact our food consumption?  

What is the most ethical and efficient way to feed our growing population?