Greater Manchester Food Sovereignty Network Blog November 2024. 

In the heart of Greater Manchester, a transformative movement is taking root. The Food Sovereignty Network is not just a collective; it’s a beacon of hope for food justice and autonomy. This dynamic network brings together partners who are passionate about reshaping the way we grow, share, and consume food. 

At its core, the Food Sovereignty Network is about building robust infrastructure and fostering deep, relational connections among various groups and collectives. By doing so, they are creating a resilient community that can thrive independently of the economic systems that often perpetuate food insecurity. 

Imagine a community where everyone has access to fresh, locally grown produce. A place where the act of growing food is not just about sustenance, but about reclaiming power and fostering solidarity for people and the planet. This is the vision that the Food Sovereignty Network is turning into reality. 

Through collaborative efforts, they are supporting local initiatives that empower individuals and groups to take control of their food sources. This not only enhances food security but also strengthens community bonds and promotes sustainable practices. 

What we’ve achieved to date: 

Movement Ecology Training
Several members of our network attended 3-day training designed for changemakers to create systemic change. The training is based in the idea that social movements function like eco systems becoming more resilient through diversity and mutual support. 

Growing Food
This season Northern Lily CIC has grown 12,703 meals worth of food (just over a ton) without pesticides or fertilisers on a 1-acre site and given this away to our communities sharing produce and social meals which we have cooked and preserved together. This has created an evidence base that local food growing is possible and has the potential to be scaled up by communities. 

Right to grow campaign
Taking derelict public land in our urban communities will help create access to allow for cultivating our own food as well as providing green hubs for nature and people building the ecological infrastructure needed for both to thrive. We are working with GM Food Action Network with food related groups across GM to collective encourage all 10 Local Authority’s in Greater Manchester to adopt Right to Grow. This will give a duty for local authorities to make a public list available to community groups of public land and speed up the leases to enable them to take ownership of those spaces to cultivate food. 

Sharing the skills to grow food sustainably
Within the network we have identified leaders to work collectively to share learning on agroecological growing techniques. Northern Lily CIC, Manchester Urban Diggers, and Sow the City as a starting point can collectively teach market gardening, sustainable gardening, orchard design and care, composting, no dig gardening, water capturing and more. We are currently in talks with Orchard project, Land workers Alliance, Myerscough and the RHS to look at how we might gain accreditation of our training creating a new recognised pathway into horticulture from the grass roots up. This will ensure that people from all backgrounds particularly women, people of colour and working-class communities have access to a career in horticulture which is currently the least diverse sector in the UK. The training of future people entering the industry around agroecological techniques and sustainable nature friendly land management will decrease the amount to pesticides and fertilisers being used as well as climate mitigation and building healthy resilient eco systems. 

Collective Kitchen
We recognise that food grown in the UK is seasonal and to feed our communities organic healthy food all year round we need to think how we connect with organic farmers and preserve the food we grow. Haleh Moravej is an expert in sustainable food recently winning a design council Sir Misha Black Award for her work in Food Wave Manchester. Haleh is setting up a social enterprise called Food Democracy CIC and has already trained over 30 people from across Greater Manchester how to utilise ancient preservation techniques to improve brain and gut health as well as shelf life. These techniques include pickling, jamming, freezing, fermenting and drying bringing back ancient knowledge with a modern twist. 

Our next steps are to create the infrastructure at Grass Roots Oldham on site where food growing training is delivered that creates local fruit, veg, herbs, eggs and honey and by creating a catering standard kitchen, preserving and cooking can be done at scale whilst educating and feeding our communities organic food. We are also developing a partnership with Organic North who procure directly from organic farmers across Europe creating a direct link to farmers who grow agroecologically and get paid a fair price weaving fairness and sustainability across the food chain we are trying to create in Greater Manchester.  

BBC morning Live invited Victoria from Northern Lily CIC to feature on National TV sharing how people can take derelict land across the UK and sharing how Grass Roots Oldham has done just that and the impact that has created. They have just completed filming a new programme to be aired in December 2024 showcasing two other examples of how Northern Lily CIC has supported Day Drive community to sign a lease and progress their new site and a Community Orchard in Chadderton bringing together several community groups and a school. Both feature landowners including Oldham Council and First Choice Homes Oldham sharing their experience of this and why it’s a win-win situation for landowners to do this. 

As we look to the future, the Greater Manchester Food Sovereignty Network stands as a testament to the power of collective action. By continuing to build on these achievements, we can create a food system that is just, sustainable, and resilient, ensuring that everyone including wildlife has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we are not just growing food; we are growing a movement that will nourish our communities and nature for generations to come.