Islington Food Conversations
Over the past few months, Octopus has facilitated four Food Conversations, at The Light Project Pro International, The Peel Institute, Elizabeth House and St Luke’s Community Centres.
These conversations were part of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commissions Food Conversation project, contributing to the UK’s biggest ever conversation about food.
During each conversation we discussed what the food system is, what we see as problems with the food system, and what changes we might like to see going forward. The feedback from these conversations has been shared with the Commission, and will feed into future work and policy making.
Here are some key themes that emerged:
Concern about what’s actually in our food, where it’s produced and grown
Too much of our food being ultra-processed
Food sold in large packages, leading to waste in single-person households
Lack of welfare of animals within the food chain
Lack of food education, in schools and other settings
Less connection with our food
A wish to be able to grow more food locally
Surplus food donated to local groups is often poor quality
Good understanding about health benefits of organic/good quality food but unable to afford these options
Unhealthy food marketed specifically at children
Overuse of packaging, particularly plastic
Concerns about farmers; climate and recruitment challenges
Still so much we don’t know about the food system, lots feels hidden
Thanks to everyone who took part in the food conversations!
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