A just, sustainable and community-led food system: Learning from Tower Hamlets

Over the past five years, the Just FACT partnership has been exploring what a community-led, sustainable food system could look like at a neighbourhood and borough-level. Read the Just FACT final report here

Join our webinar as we

• Hear directly from innovative pilot projects who will tell the story of how farms, community food hubs and neighbourhood cooperatives have worked together in Tower Hamlets to change how food is grown, supplied, sold and how is waste managed.
• Understand what changed for the better, any learning, and what’s stopping them from reaching their full potential.
• Show how these approaches weave together to create a neighbourhood model that could be replicated.
• Share what action needs to be taken by local and regional authorities and housing providers.

The webinar will conclude with the opportunity to address questions to lead partner Wen (Women’s Environmental Network) and the projects.

Presentations:

“Upsetting the value chain: Folx Farm’s food access pilot”

Rae Hippolyte, Folx Farm: Rae is a food grower, educator and multidisciplinary artist from London. She is the former Co-Director of Folx Farm and project lead for the Food Access Fund (F.A.F). F.A.F works with corporate food partners to redistribute the wealth in the London food industry, to support communities in the borough of Tower Hamlets to access fresh, culturally relevant and affordable veg.

''Developing civic resilience in the face of climate change''

Andy & Cameron, R-Urban Poplar: Andy and Cameron have driven forward the work of R-Urban Poplar over the past five years as part of critical design practise Public Works. R-Urban is eco-civic hub located on the edge of the Teviot estate in Poplar. It has prototyped a local food system which places circularity and community leadership at its heart.

''Bridging the gap pilots: making culturally-appropriate organic food accessible to low income households''.                         

Melly & Romana, Food Coop Network: Melly and Romana have supported the development and coordination of food cooperatives in Tower Hamlets. As part of a Bridging the Gap pilot, two food co-ops at the Teviot Centre and Limehouse Town Hall swapped the produce they were selling to organic fruit and veg, at no extra cost to customers, as well as accepting Rose Vouchers.

About Just FACT: Funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the Just FACT (Just Food and Climate Transition) programme worked with 26 partners across Tower Hamlets to explore how communities can take the lead in building fairer, more resilient food systems. Through collaboration, experimentation and shared learning, the programme demonstrates how funding and support can enable practical, community-driven solutions to urgent food and climate challenges.