Quietly Does It: Learning together for food justice on allotments

We worked with allotment communities and local organisations in Norwich to understand how gardeners share knowledge, skills, and values to support food justice and benefit their communities. The findings empowered allotment communities to improve collaboration, facilitate learning, and fully realise allotment potential to contribute to food justice.

Background 

Allotments, plots traditionally rented for growing food, have been linked to many benefits for individuals, communities and the environment. Whilst research highlights their potential to empower communities and contribute directly to food justice, UK allotments go largely unrecognised by government, resulting in missed opportunities for funding and exclusion from relevant policies. Allotments have also been criticised for being elitist and reinforcing existing inequalities. Thus, a community-engaged survey was conducted in collaboration with two allotment sites in Norwich, exploring how learning and collaboration in allotment communities contribute to food justice and help build healthier, fairer communities. 

The community-engaged survey encompassed two parts: 19 people participated in two co-productive workshops in Norwich, and 42 gardeners from Hill Farm and Hellesdon allotments took a survey. Data from both parts confirmed the beneficial role of allotments in individuals’ lives and their neighbourhoods, especially in terms of household diet and physical and mental health. The social aspect of allotments was stressed as particularly important, with engagement between allotment users being a key learning method on allotments. While engagement varies and tensions persist within the community, allotment communities were recognised by participants as convivial: bringing together people from different backgrounds by providing space and time to engage in friendly conversations around gardening topics accessible to everyone. This helps develop communities that share resources, exchange knowledge and skills, and show generosity and mutual help. 

In turn, people not only improve their gardening knowledge and skill, but increase their food literacy, food and cooking skills and improve diet – all aspects linked to reducing health inequalities. Learning and collaboration on allotments also increase social connections, reduces isolation, and yields positive impacts on gardeners’ mental health. 

Whilst evidence demonstrates allotments’ potential to serve as community resources for healthier, fairer communities, the participants provided some suggestions to increase this potential and ensure that those benefits are available to everyone. Participants implied the need for a) better access and support for community, charity and school groups, people with different disabilities, and those on low incomes and with young families; and b) provision of shared spaces and collaborative support for allotment community gathering, self-organisation, and social activities. 

Project Aims

This project used a community-engaged survey to explore how learning and collaboration within allotment communities support food justice, wellbeing, and fairer, healthier communities. It aimed to amplify community voices and provide evidence to help local authorities and health systems recognise allotments as valuable community-based resources for prevention, wellbeing and reducing health inequalities.

Project Activity

This project relied on a community-engaged survey:

  • First, workshops with allotment community members and interested stakeholders were held to discuss the topic and co-design the survey so it reflects the interests and needs of the community.
  • Second, the survey was carried out with particular attention to reaching underrepresented communities.
  • Third, the survey data was analysed, and community feedback on the findings will be sought before reports are shared with local stakeholders and allotment communities.

Outputs

The evidence from the community-engaged survey is being used to prepare a policy brief in collaboration with local authorities. The policy brief aims to highlight how allotments can be better utilised as community resources to support prevention, wellbeing, and strategies to reduce health inequalities. The evidence from the community-engaged survey is also being used in a report for communities, providing practical guidance to help communities strengthen collaboration, enhance learning practices and build inclusive food-growing space that benefits members and their wider neighbourhoods.

Weaver, K. (2026, Sep. 3-5) Grow, Learn, Share: Community-engaged survey [Conference presentation]. RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2026. London, UK

Next steps

The project is being expanded across Norwich and Luton, with a particular aim to explore who are the actors participating in allotments, and what are the contributors and obstacles to allotments' success in serving as community resources for healthier and fairer communities. 

Who was involved?

Kaja Weaver, University of Hertfordshire

Contact

Kaja Weaver, k.weaver2@herts.ac.uk

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