The Scottish Government

Allotments are big news here at the moment. They are coming under fire due to their perceived bad council management in the last few years. Users are now banding together and there are moves afoot to get an independant management company involed, together with users having more power in the spending budjet. There appears to be a revival, and renewed interest in growing your own produce.

Heartily agree with comments posted. I run a community allotment for volunteers. Local school-children are scarily ignorant of where food comes from and what it looks like. Some have never seen vegetables with mud on them, let along a pea coming out of a pod! I think we should encourage more schools to have their own allotments on school grounds. Understanding how to grow your own produce empowers people to take ownership of their health and diet. A cheaper and easier solution than dealing with the obesity costs to the NHS in later years surely?

Allotments are one element in the fight to regain control of what we eat. Allotments have the potential to create an outcome which results in social, educational and health benefits for communities.
Councils sooner, rather than later must identify and make available, ground for their communities to manage. Excess produce must be allowed to be sold and the funds invested back into the community. It's a win win situation.

Agree totally on expanding allotment provision. I am a member of the East Fife Allotment Association who are trying to establish a new allotment site in Upper Largo. We have submitted a formal response to the consultation highlighting the opportunity for people to grow their own food and encouraging the government to actively support this. In England the lottery has a new £50million fund to support community food initiatives. We can perhaps learn from our friends down south.

I support the increased emphasis on growing your own food. I have a small garden which we do on occassion successfully grow vegetables and herbs, however, would welcome a dedicated allotment space. The issue is with supply and demand. I have just read Edinburgh Council's allotment strategy which states there are 450 people on waiting lists for 1100 allotments. I'm aware that in Glasgow there are similar issues. A serious committment needs to be made to expand allotment capacity so that the number of people enjoying home produce can be increased, as not only is the food better for you it would also, as much research has shown, improve our mental and physical health which hits on many of the other Scottish Government agendas.

Another suggestion would be to increase the number of community/green spaces with allotment elements included.

Patricia Murray