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Agriculture in London

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Agriculture in London is a rather small enterprise, with only 8.6% of the Greater London area being used for commercial farming, nearly all of which is close to Greater London's outer boundaries. There are a few city farms closer to the centre of the city and about 30,000 allotments.[1] There are 135.66 square kilometres (135,660,000 m2) of farmland in the Greater London area. Nearly all of the farmland in the London area is a basis for the growing culture.[2]

Farmland in London is predominantly present in five boroughs: Bromley (of which an estimated 35% is farmland), Havering (estimated 44%), Hillingdon (estimated 23%), Enfield (estimate 22%) and Barnet (estimate 17%).[3] The Lea Valley is a significant centre for salad crops.[4]

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Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. While humans started gathering grains at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers only began planting them around 11,500 years ago. Sheep, goats, pigs and cattle were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world. In the twentieth century, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures came to dominate agricultural output.

London

London

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised Greater London, which is governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

Greater London

Greater London

Greater London is an administrative area in England governed by the Greater London Authority. It is organised into 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs and the City of London. Greater London is one of the regions of England, also known as the London Region. The Greater London Authority, based in Newham as of the start of 2022, is responsible for strategic local government across the area and consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Allotment (gardening)

Allotment (gardening)

An allotment, or in North America, a community garden, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-commercial gardening or growing food plants, so forming a kitchen garden away from the residence of the user. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundred parcels that are assigned to individuals or families. Such parcels are cultivated individually, contrary to other community garden types where the entire area is tended collectively by a group of people. In countries that do not use the term "allotment (garden)", a "community garden" may refer to individual small garden plots as well as to a single, large piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. The term "victory garden" is also still sometimes used, especially when a community garden dates back to the First or Second World War.

London Borough of Bromley

London Borough of Bromley

The London Borough of Bromley is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,336. It is named after Bromley, its principal town; other major towns are Penge, Hayes, West Wickham, Chislehurst, Beckenham and Orpington. The local authority is Bromley London Borough Council.

London Borough of Havering

London Borough of Havering

The London Borough of Havering in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. The borough is mainly suburban, with large areas of protected open space. Romford is a major retail and night time entertainment centre, and to the south the borough extends into the London Riverside redevelopment area of the Thames Gateway. The name Havering is a reference to the Royal Liberty of Havering which occupied the area for several centuries. The local authority is Havering London Borough Council. It is the easternmost London borough.

London Borough of Hillingdon

London Borough of Hillingdon

The London Borough of Hillingdon is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county of Middlesex. Today, Hillingdon is home to Heathrow Airport and Brunel University, and is the second largest of the 32 London boroughs by area.

London Borough of Enfield

London Borough of Enfield

The London Borough of Enfield is a London borough in North London. It borders the London boroughs of Barnet to the west, Haringey to the south, and Waltham Forest to the southeast. To the north are the districts of Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne, and to the east is Epping Forest District in Essex. The local authority is Enfield London Borough Council. Enfield's population is estimated to be 333,794; the main towns in the borough are Edmonton, Enfield, Southgate and Palmers Green. Enfield is the northernmost London borough.

London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Barnet

The London Borough of Barnet is a suburban London borough in North London. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It forms part of Outer London and is the second largest London borough by population with 389,344 inhabitants, also making it the 17th largest district in England. The borough covers an area of 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi), the fourth highest of the 32 London boroughs, and has a population density of 45.8 people per hectare, which ranks it 25th.

Lea Valley

Lea Valley

The Lea Valley, the valley of the River Lea, has been used as a transport corridor, a source of sand and gravel, an industrial area, a water supply for London, and a recreational area. The London 2012 Summer Olympics were based in Stratford, in the Lower Lea Valley. It is important for London's water supply, as the source of the water transported by the New River aqueduct, but also as the location for the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain, stretching from Enfield through Tottenham and Walthamstow.

History

Wormwood Scrubs, a part of the common land
Wormwood Scrubs, a part of the common land
The dairy at College Farm, Barnet
The dairy at College Farm, Barnet
A field of rape, Felthamhill
A field of rape, Felthamhill
A Havering barley field
A Havering barley field

Many areas which now form part of Greater London were formerly rural and agricultural outskirts and still bear names which indicate this past: Ealing Common, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Shepherd's Bush and Wormwood Scrubs, for example.

In 1938, the Greater London area became the first region in Britain to use a green belt policy and introduced the Metropolitan Green Belt in order to combat urban sprawl.[5] A 2005 agricultural census carried out by ADAS showed that 423 holdings were located in the London part of the metropolitan green belt, around 0.25% of the total number in Britain. The total land managed was 13,608 hectares, half of which was rented. Less than 10% of the land farmed was used for cultivation of organic materials, and the total contribution that farming made to the economy, excluding diversification activities, was less than £8 m. However, London's agricultural industry was shown to be much more reliant on activities pertaining to diversification, with just under a third of farm income attributed to it, exceeding the national average. The report stated that whilst farming was not a significant part of London's economy, it did have a vital role to play.[6]

The report showed that farming was mainly concentrated in northeast London, but only included figures on arable farming (the surrounding regions of East and South East are where cereal farming is most prevalent).[7] The report commented that livestock farming had decreased in recent years due to a lack of infrastructure (poor access to abattoirs and markets) and problems associated with being located close to the urban fringe (such as dogs). The report concluded that the low levels of stock in relation to permanent pasture suggested equine usage, something often related to diversification activities;[8] the figures produced in the survey showed that 37% of London's diversification activities were equine related. Horticultural activities were mainly confined to the east of London, south of the River Thames.[6]

This survey, as well as one carried out by Farmer's Voice in 2004, showed that the majority of farmers (47% and 35%) felt that planning restrictions, which are more widely and stringently enforced in the green belt, were the greatest barrier to diversification. The next highest was a lack of capital, and both polls showed that the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU was perceived to be smallest obstacle towards furthering diversification. The profitability of agriculture in the London green belt was shown to have increased: in 1999, only 4% of London farms reported an increased or maintained profit level, whereas 27% did in 2008. Forty-eight percent said they feared for their business's survival in 1999; 23% felt this way in 2008.[6]

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Common land

Common land

Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel.

Ealing Common

Ealing Common

Ealing Common is a large open space in Ealing, West London.

Lincoln's Inn Fields

Lincoln's Inn Fields

Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in developing London", as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner observes. The original plan for "laying out and planting" these fields, drawn by the hand of Inigo Jones, was said still to be seen in Lord Pembroke's collection at Wilton House in the 19th century, but its location is now unknown. The grounds, which had remained private property, were acquired by London County Council in 1895 and opened to the public by its chairman, Sir John Hutton, the same year. The square is today managed by the London Borough of Camden and forms part of the southern boundary of that borough with the City of Westminster.

Greater London

Greater London

Greater London is an administrative area in England governed by the Greater London Authority. It is organised into 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs and the City of London. Greater London is one of the regions of England, also known as the London Region. The Greater London Authority, based in Newham as of the start of 2022, is responsible for strategic local government across the area and consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Green belt (United Kingdom)

Green belt (United Kingdom)

In British town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The term, coined by Octavia Hill in 1875, refers to a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail. The fundamental aim of green belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open, and consequently the most important attribute of green belts is their openness.

Metropolitan Green Belt

Metropolitan Green Belt

The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It comprises parts of Greater London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey, parts of two of the three districts of Bedfordshire and a small area in Copthorne, Sussex. As of 2017/18, Government statistics show the planning designation covered 513,860 hectares of land.

Contribution margin

Contribution margin

Contribution margin (CM), or dollar contribution per unit, is the selling price per unit minus the variable cost per unit. "Contribution" represents the portion of sales revenue that is not consumed by variable costs and so contributes to the coverage of fixed costs. This concept is one of the key building blocks of break-even analysis.

Agronomy

Agronomy

Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. It is the application of a combination of sciences such as biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, earth science, and genetics. Professionals of agronomy are termed agronomists.

East of England

East of England

The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. This region was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics purposes from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.

Cereal

Cereal

A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain, which is composed of an endosperm, a germ, and a bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop and are therefore staple crops. They include wheat, rye, oats, and barley. Edible grains from other plant families, such as buckwheat, quinoa and chia, are referred to as pseudocereals.

Livestock

Livestock

Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals who are raised for consumption, and sometimes used to refer solely to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Horses are considered livestock in the United States. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb (mutton) as livestock, and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are not included in the category. The latter is likely due to the fact that fish products are not governed by the USDA, but by the FDA.

River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames, known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 215 miles (346 km), it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.

2008 developments

In an effort to boost the efforts of urban farming in the Greater London area, a conference was called on 1 July 2008 entitled "Growing Food for London". Organized by the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum, and as part of the London Festival of Architecture, solutions were sought to encourage so called "fringe farmers" (farmers on the fringe of urban areas) by assessing their needs in urban areas. The impetus for the conference was the rising cost of fuel, and the requisite need for food supplies to be provided closer to urban areas to keep food costs low.[9]

Source: "Agriculture in London", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2021, January 5th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_London.

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See also
References
  1. ^ Tara Garnett. "Urban Agriculture in London" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-08.
  2. ^ James Petts (January 2001). "Urban Agriculture in London" (PDF). WHO. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Easton, Mark (9 November 2017). "How much of your area is built on?". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  4. ^ Lea Valley Growers Association https://www.lvga.co.uk/
  5. ^ "Q&A: England's green belt". BBC News. 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  6. ^ a b c Mark Holmes. "Farming in London's Green Belt" (PDF). Sustain Web, ADAS. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  7. ^ "Snapshot of farming in the UK". BBC News. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  8. ^ "Farm diversification - Horses". DEFRA. 2003-11-11. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  9. ^ "London's conference on urban farming". MNN - Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

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