By creative Agent John Thackara (FR)

“Be aware that as the subject of food goes up the agenda, and as more and more people are involved, the diversity of possible approaches and techniques is increasing; and so the whole subject of food can be much more exciting and varied than just some rather dutiful return to the land and reexamination of life as a peasant. There will be a lot of manual work as we increase our local food resilience, but it doesn’t have to be a dead copy of what went before”.

Thackara is interested in the topic of food as a common denominator in a sustainable world. He collects stories of people around the globe who are working on different projects and experiments to improve knowledge and build a network of people at a local level. Out of these stories he created a “tasting menu” for the Ideal Lab’ with different projects for provocation and stimulation which can be tested, adapted and improved. These “Nine Food Actions” are examples of ways to intervene in food systems from different angles with the idea to change the bigger picture.

In Thackaras opinion we will need to use a range of these   techniques to become resilient in food, because resilience is not just about a steady supply of basics, it is also about diversity and having different ways to grow and produce food available at different times.

1. Mapping local resources
2. Connecting growers & citizens
3. New co-operatives
4. Participation of young people
5. Re-use of buildings and spaces
6. Seeds and seed banking
7. Herbs, foraging
8. Connected gardening
9. Adapt other practices