Over the last five years, communities in Tower Hamlets, London have come together through the Just FACT programme, to build an alternative food system that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and community led.
Projects have made space for collective learning and action; building on the wisdom and skills that exist in the borough’s gardens, community centres and kitchens. Some have built models that reimagine how food could be produced and sold, and how waste could be managed locally.
What is Just FACT?
Just FACT (Just Food and Climate Transition) is a five-year partnership programme co-coordinated by Wen (Women’s Environmental Network) and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund.
The programme has delivered 26 projects, supported community-led research and action to explore what a fairer food system could look like in an inner-city borough facing deep inequality and growing impacts of climate change.
The project has now officially ended and we are proud to share the end-of-project report. This reflects on what was built, what was learned, and what it takes to support community-led food system change over time.
Read the Just FACT impact report.
Why a just food transition?
Food is at the heart of our lives. It’s how we nourish ourselves and our families, connect with our communities, and express our cultures.
Yet the current food system:
- contributes around 20% of global carbon emissions
- drives biodiversity loss
- leaves too many people struggling to afford healthy, nutritious food
In Tower Hamlets, these pressures are felt particularly strongly. Many residents rely on a supermarket system that benefits corporations, and there is a reliance on food banks. Climate change is already affecting people’s day to day lives, disrupting food supply chains and pushing prices higher, making existing inequalities worse.
A just food transition means transforming the food system in a way that tackles climate change and inequality at the same time.
Just FACT set out to show what this looks like in practice.
What projects achieved through Just FACT
Increased access to healthy sustainably produced, culturally appropriate, affordable food
Through establishing a network of Food Coops, piloting the impact of reducing financial barriers to organic produce, setting up projects that grow culturally-appropriate foods that are staples to Tower Hamlets communities (such as kodu bottle gourds, amaranth and mooli).
Widened and deepened community participation
This has been done through listening to communities, meeting people where they already go, building trust and relationships, making activities practical and relevant, and ensuring inclusion across different groups. 26 grassroots organisations reached more than 20,000 people.
New knowledge, skills and employability
The programme built individual capability through knowledge and skill-sharing workshops (1,292 in total), practical training, and formal accreditation. For several residents their volunteer energy was transformed into paid roles.
A stronger local movement
This has been achieved by focussing on deep network building at the quarterly partner meetings, empowering local leadership, actively resourcing grassroots action, and supporting collaboration across groups. 60 groups and individuals were part of the Just FACT network, and a further 280 members of Tower Hamlets Food Partnership
Trialled ways to reduce climate impacts of the food system
Reducing carbon emissions from food was trialled through reducing the use of plastic bags, local food production , composting and avoiding food waste (e.g. food re-distribution). The biggest reductions in emissions came from the Plastic Free Markets project, where 364,000 fewer plastic bags were used per year.
More power and decision-making in the hands of the local community
The programme enabled local groups and individuals to step into leadership roles, co-design projects, and establish self-governing structures. Through the participatory grants programme, community representatives were able to decide where funding should go
Wellbeing, happiness, health, reduced isolation
Wellbeing and community cohesion benefits were valued as a vital part of building a food system that works for people as well as the planet. 13 projects reported wellbeing outcomes, sharing quotes and stories
“That network [Tower Hamlets Food Partnership] will be the big lasting impact of Just FACT. I don’t know of any other projects that are funded in a similar way, where lots of projects are funded simultaneously and with lots of partner meetings.” – Project partner
The learning is already shaping change locally
Tower Hamlets Council’s five-year Transforming Food Systems strategy was developed in response to Just FACT and will continue to be shaped with community input.
“I hope that colleagues in government, the Greater London Authority, and locally in Tower Hamlets can get behind the learning and recommendations in this report and the communities who are paving the way for a fairer, sustainable food system.” – Apsana Begum, MP for Limehouse and Poplar
What this report offers
The Just FACT impact report brings together:
- learning about what supports genuine community-led change
- real examples of alternative food models
- reflections on power, participation and justice
- clear calls to action for funders, policymakers, housing associations and developers
Why read the report?
If you are working on food justice, climate action, community organising or local policy, or if you want to understand what community-led climate action looks like on the ground, this report is for you.
Above all, we hope it inspires others across the UK to build community-led food systems that work for people and the planet, and conveys the incredible life force, creativity and strength of the people of Tower Hamlets.
Take action
- Watch the short film: Reclaiming our food system
- Read the Just FACT impact report
- Read the evaluation report
- Join the webinar Thursday 26 February, 2-3pm
- Get Wen news
