Urban land could grow fruit and veg for 15 per cent of the population, research shows
University of Sheffield experts map land suitable for growing fruit and veg in the city
Available space could provide ‘five a day’ for nearly 90,000 people in Sheffield
Shift towards growing on urban land and rooftops could significantly improve UK food security
Growing fruit and vegetables in just 10 per cent of a city’s gardens and other urban green spaces could provide 15 per cent of the local population with their ‘five a day’, according to new research.
In a study published in Nature Food, academics from the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield investigated the potential for urban horticulture by mapping green spaces and grey spaces across the city.
They found that green spaces including parks, gardens, allotments, roadside verges and woodland cover 45 per cent of Sheffield – a figure similar to other UK cities.
Allotments cover 1.3 per cent of this, while 38 per cent of green space comprised of domestic gardens, which have immediate potential to start growing food.