Environment secretary Hilary Benn has warned us to rethink how we produce food in the near future in the face of rising global human populations. In the next 30-40 years, we can expect another 2.5 – 3 billion new mouths to feed. Our current system of the industrial production of food will not produce enough food to feed everybody. We can also expect food prices to continue to rise into the foreseeable future.
So, what is the answer? I think we should all make use of the land that we have (our gardens) to grow as much of our vegetable supplies as we can. It can be as simple as growing runner beans up and around a garage, or lettuces in our window boxes. If you have a small garden, then consider growing things vertically. I grow my strawberries in plastic pouches attached to the walls of my house. I have also grown potatoes in buckets and cabbages within my flower beds.
We will increasingly need to fend for ourselves in an overcrowded future. Make the most of your garden, window box or roof terrace – grow your own!