Agriculture in London

Agriculture in London is a small but important part of the city's landscape. Only a small part of the land in Greater London is used for farming. Most farms are near the edges of the city. There are also many small farms closer to the center, called city farms. About 30,000 small plots, called allotments, let people grow their own food.

In total, there are about 135 square kilometres of farmland in the Greater London area. This land helps give the city fresh food. Five areas have the most farmland: Bromley, Havering, Hillingdon, Enfield, and Barnet. The Lea Valley is good for growing vegetables like salads.

History

Many places in what is now Greater London used to be rural areas, as their names suggest, like Ealing Common, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Shepherd's Bush, and Wormwood Scrubs.

In 1938, Greater London became the first area in Britain to create a green belt to stop cities from spreading out too much. A study in 2005 found that there were farms in the London part of this green belt. These farms used a lot of land, but farming was only a small part of London’s economy. Most farming was in northeast London, with some areas growing crops and others raising animals. Over time, more farms in London were doing better.

2008 developments

In July 2008, a meeting called "Growing Food for London" took place. It was organized by the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum as part of the London Festival of Architecture. The meeting aimed to help farmers who work near London. This was important because fuel prices were rising, and bringing food closer to cities could help keep food prices lower.