THE PLOT

Last week the UK Westminster government announced (on Wednesday 6^th January 2010) it's twenty year food strategy. After much beating about the bush, there has finally been some recognition, however, belated, that the UK should not take its food supply for granted. It was back in March 2009, when Westminster Government adviser Professor John Beddington predicted the possibilities of a climate change-induced "perfect storm" of food shortages, water scarcity and insufficient energy resources, we have been waiting to hear how the UK Government planned to respond.

On a very local level, one of the simplest ways to make very basic preparations for ourselves to deal with the consequences of potentially rocketing food and oil prices, which many scientists believe are not that far away in the near future as a result of peak oil, is for as many people as possible to grow some of their own food. There are long waiting lists for allotments in all areas of Wales. Whatever demand is there should be encouraged.

There are moves afoot to try to increase the amount of land that’s available for food production, certainly Plaid’s Rural Affairs Minister in Wales; Elin Jones is looking for ways to increase the availability of land for allotments and community gardens. The Westminster government’s call for less food waste, more seasonal food and for people to buy sustainably-farmed food is to be welcomed.

The idea of a food strategy is most welcome, but we have to be realistic, as food price problems could hit us pretty quickly and without warning, so it makes sense for governments to help, encourage and enable communities on as small a scale as possible to build up their own resilience and resources so they can cope with a potential food or fuel crisis.

We need to go much further and faster in terms of reducing food imports and tackling a wasteful food/supermarket culture.One way to help would be to help our communities with the provision of land for allotments, as across Wales, the demand for allotments continues to grow apace, this by a strange twist of fate is something I am quite aware of as a significant number of my friends and various acquaintance’s (in Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire) all have allotments, or are trying to acquire them, so I am aware of the difficulties faced (particularly the length of time it takes) when it comes to acquiring a plot.

Apart from providing a ready source of vegetables and saving money, raising and looking after your own crops actually provides a degree of necessary exercise and is a good excuse to get stuck in. Now at the beginning of 2009, Plaid AM Leanne Wood produced research which showed that there were some 2,500 people on waiting lists for an allotment in Wales and that some people may well have to wait for nearly nine years before they get a sniff of a plot or pitch.

What's really quite amazing is that the whole business of allotments is still largely regulated by legislation from the early years of the 20th Century. The 1908 Small Holdings and Allotment Act says a council has a duty to provide land if they are satisfied there is demand and if six electors petition that council, their representations have to be taken into consideration.

There are enough examples across Wales, where groups of interested people have petitioned their local council only to be told that the council has considered their request, but there is no land available. Clearly our local authorities need to sort themselves out when it comes to the provision of land for allotments and help people to help themselves.