Article content

A local group is joining a lobby effort to keep community gardens open during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying those spaces are vital lifelines for some Londoners to access fresh, healthy food.

It’s more critical than ever that people have a way to grow their own produce or bring home additional food as the public health crisis puts pressure on food supply chains and grocery stores, the chairperson of the Middlesex London Food Policy Council said.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Londoners join lobby to get community gardens put on essentials list Back to video

“In a normal year, (community gardens) are important for supplementing not just the amount of food, but the quality of food. Food security is not just about the amount of food you have. You need to have fresh food, culturally appropriate food,” said Benjamin Hill, who is also a Western University professor who teaches about the philosophy of food.

“We’re concerned about that for this year in particular,” he added, saying the council is expecting more people to need help and support accessing food.