Growing food is fashionable again in Britain

According to an article in the Telegraph, vegetable gardens have risen drastically in popularity. A survey of over 1,000 people found that 26% are growing their own fruits and vegetables. Many of these people are doing so to save money, but there is an environmental motivation at work.

During the 1970s, a television sitcom called The Good Life made gardening in backyards and allotments fashionable, but its popularity waned. Gardening was generally viewed as a hobby for older people with a lot of time on their hands.

Now, under the encouragement of Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, gardening is becoming normal, and many of the new gardeners are young. The article does not discuss the yield of these individual gardens, nor the effect it has had (if any yet) on produce sales in groceries. However, the implications of a quarter of the population taking agriculture into their own hands are enormous.

- Largely organic agriculture; cuts chemical waste from system

- Reduces carbon emissions two ways: reduced demands for transport of produce; increased production of oxygen through photosynthesis

- Potential health benefits: people are more likely to eat the vegetables they grow

- Increased awareness of global food and environmental issues