District Eating was approached by the Institute of Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield to collaborate in an innovative and strategic, multi-sector project.
The project investigated the feasibility of harnessing waste heat and carbon dioxide as produced by the city region’s major businesses and institutions. The study looked at the viability of re-using this waste heat to supply greenhouses and other growing projects across the city region to develop a foundation which could result in the development of circular economies. These use horticulture to take up waste heat and carbon dioxide, while producing food as well as opportunities for training, education and local business development.
With District Eating’s unique expertise in cross-sector, sustainable, urban farming, and the Sheffield Institute of Sustainable Food’s remit to be a world-leader in sustainable food systems, a ground-breaking project was established. The ongoing study offered the opportunity to tackle a number of significant challenges for the UK’s food infrastructure and supply as well as other cross-sector challenges around wellbeing and employment. A first of its kind, it was designed with the ability to roll out the programme to other major cities and regions nationally and internationally using the Sheffield City Region as a test bed for an urban, low-carbon food economy.
The relevance of this project was underlined by the advent of Covid 19, in particular the strain that the pandemic has put on the UK’s food chain, and the fragility of food security when the UK imports over 80% and 44% of fresh fruit and vegetables consumed*.
A different approach is needed to address the challenges faced by the UK food industry in 2020. A combination of innovation and commercial expertise is fundamental to the way District Eating operates and the solutions it is offering through this ambitious project with wide-reaching potential for food production in the UK and beyond.
Sheffield City Council
The Sheffield City Region
Key social enterprises for food and wellbeing
This project worked to transform the rooftop of a closed-down shopping centre – creating a social, urban-agriculture, green space. Key opportunities presented by this transformation could be;
District Eating’s innovative approach to the project addressed major cross-sector challenges including how to:
From this project District Eating:
The mapping study laid the foundation with a proof of concept for farm sites across the Sheffield City Region. District Eating are currently developing detailed business cases and developing relationships with investors to facilitate funding and construction of a pilot greenhouse in the City.
We are carefully monitoring changes in food supply chains associated with the Covid-19 epidemic to identify opportunities for the roll out of the project in other cities and regions across the UK. There is a significant opportunity to create jobs, stimulate local economic growth, reduce food miles pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve community cohesion through localized working and food system development at a time when new, economically viable and more sustainable approaches are needed for the environment and UK food production alike.
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Feasibility study Client: Sheffield City Council The Brief District Eating was approached by the Institute of Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield to collaborate
