Business
From waste to food
Sustain Britain’s Nick Ash on the pioneering tech harnessing landfill waste to grow year-round food.
25 March 2026
Slow Food has highlighted the importance of community and school gardens as a practical local response to biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity.
The organisation is calling for increased investment in community‑led agroecological food systems. It says that supporting local food systems means strengthening resilience and recognising communities as key actors of change, and that protecting food biodiversity is key to resilient ecosystems and livelihoods.
This vision will guide Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 (Turin, 24–27 September), a global food policy and artisan marketplace festival, organised by Slow Food, where biodiversity will be a central theme for 2026. The festival will bring together global food communities to share knowledge and solutions for food that is good, clean and fair.
Today, just nine crops account for 66% of global production (FAO), while industrial agriculture remains a major driver of biodiversity loss, weakening ecosystems and limiting communities’ capacity to adapt.
As the 2021 IPBES–IPCC report makes clear, biodiversity loss and climate change are interdependent crises: ecosystem degradation reduces carbon storage and climate regulation, while climate change accelerates biodiversity decline.
Addressing these crises requires systemic approaches such as agroecology, to improve soil health, support pollinators, conserve water, and strengthen local economies. The Slow Food Gardens in Africa programme illustrates this approach.
Since 2011, the Slow Food Gardens in Africa program has supported 3,490 school and community gardens in 38 countries, involving over 500,000 people. From the outset, the initiative has focused on valuing local crop biodiversity and traditional knowledge, creating demonstration plots that inspire neighbouring communities and farmers and engaging local agronomists and producers.
In 2024, 97% of participating households improved access to fresh and healthy food, while 89% reported increased income or financial stability.
‘School and community gardens have always had a special meaning for me. When I was a child, working in the school garden was seen as a punishment. That experience stayed with me. Today, through the Slow Food Gardens project, we have transformed that idea completely. Gardens are now places of dignity and opportunity, sources of food, income, stability and knowledge. They are also spaces of intergenerational exchange, where knowledge of biodiversity is shared and passed on. They teach children and adults alike that caring for the land means caring for our future, and that biodiversity is not an abstract concept, but something to be cultivated every day.’
EDWARD MUKIIBI
President of Slow Food
In 2024, more than 5,000 crops were cultivated in the gardens, mostly local species and varieties, including some at risk of extinction. Communities decide what to grow based on their needs and knowledge, using practices such as composting, crop rotation and natural pest control – approaches that contribute to soil fertility, water conservation and climate resilience.
‘Mulching helps reduce the need for fertilisers and retains moisture, so we only need to water seedlings twice a week. The vegetables we grow are fresh, healthy, and part of our daily meals.’
DAVID NDUNGU
Student at Keriko Secondary School
Beyond production, gardens are spaces of learning where students and communities engage with food, ecosystems, and local culture.
‘School attendance has increased, and students can now have more diverse diets. In Keriko Senior School, the garden has attracted local support, allowing us to establish a seedling nursery that also creates employment opportunities for young people.’
MERCY CHEPKEMBOI
Slow Food Gardens Coordinator in Kenya
The impact extends beyond schools. In 2024, 77% of participating families started their own gardens at home. This is particularly relevant as more than one billion people in Africa were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024 (FAO, FAO State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025).
‘Students bring this knowledge home’, says Ken Mwirigi, Keriko Farm Manager. ‘Families are adopting agroecological practices and diversifying their diets with healthy, locally grown food.’
In a context of climate and ecological crisis, biodiversity is a foundation for resilience, because diverse food systems are better able to withstand environmental and economic shocks.
As Mukiibi concludes: ‘Food is never just a commodity, it is an agricultural, ecological, cultural and political act. Every choice we make supports either a system based on extraction and uniformity, or one rooted in diversity, care, and dignity.’
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