Over £475,000 has been given to 17 different food-growing projects in the city as part of the Glasgow Food System Development Fund.

Funding has been directed to projects that will improve the “resilience of the city’s food system, including the growing or production of food, its distribution and disposing of waste.”

Councillor Elaine McSporran and Food Plan Lead at Glasgow City Council, says the initiative “spans the city in its spread and ambition”.

She said: “From supporting more local markets to projects involving children with disabilities in food growing this funding will be transformative”.

Glasgow Community Food Markets, awarded over £24,000, hope to “create a network of small, food markets for areas of the city where it’s difficult to access healthy, affordable and locally produced food.”

Councillor Angus Millar, who is the City Convener for Climate at Glasgow City Council, is hopeful that the distribution of funding will help lessen environmental impacts of food production in the city and beyond.

He added: “Transforming the way food is produced and consumed is essential for reducing environmental damage, climate impacts and addressing hunger and poverty.

“Our innovative and locally tailored food system fund is another part of our whole systems approach for a healthier, more sustainable city and planet."

With councillors praising the benefits to both food availability and sustainability it’s clear that they are confident in the scheme making a difference.

The council is funding this scheme as part of a £2.24 million package received for 2023/24 from the Scottish Government's Place Fund for community projects across Glasgow.

Buddies Clubs and Services which helps children affected by disability was awarded over £47,000 and hope to use the funding to get young people involved in producing sustainable food.

Chief Executive of the charity Jane Hook, who is “delighted” by the news, said: “Our plan is to repair and modernise the present seven greenhouses which are no longer fit for purpose.

“The funding secured will bring our greenhouse space up to a usable standard. Once the repairs are complete and the greenhouses are ready to use, we will be able to take several, very exciting initiatives forward.”

Speaking on the potential local impact of this funding she said: “We work with many families who live in poverty and have no access to community opportunities. Many of our families live in areas of deprivation. Becoming involved in this project will greatly help their self-esteem.

“This funding is extremely important overall to both the organisations running these projects but to everyone not just in the local but citywide."

The Chard Holding Group CIC, located at Bellahouston Park, received the maximum grant of almost £50,000 and now have plans to increase in their production.

The funding will allow a “further 700 square metres of glasshouse growing space” to be built which will be “highly valuable” and “the first large scale glasshouse used for food production within Glasgow”.

Nan McKay Community Hall in Pollokshields was awarded over £8,000 and will now see its capacity to grow fruit and crops increase “three-fold”.

The importance of focusing on local food producers has been applauded by Councillor Elaine McSporran who says that this means “the right innovations [are] in the right place, we are ensuring the right kind of impact”.