View article

Brighton and Hove is a city on the South coast of the United Kingdom (UK) with a population of approximately 273,369 (United Kingdom Census, 2011). The city is surrounded by a highly biodiverse and productive chalk reef system to the South and endangered chalk downland habitats to the North. Two recent events have increased attention towards biodiversity conservation and wider sustainability issues in the area (including agricultural land). First, in April 2011 the South Downs National Park became operational (South Downs National Park Authority 2012), bringing a shift in responsibility for planning to the wider area. About 40% of the city sits within the boundaries of the national park. Second, in June 2014 Brighton and Lewes Downs (including the city of Brighton and Hove and the county town of Lewes) became the first completely new World Biosphere site established in the UK for almost 40 years. The University of Sussex is a member of the Brighton and Lewes Downs Biosphere Partnership, and research undertaken as part of these initiatives informed the proposed study.

Beyond this, the hub drew significantly upon the work of the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership (BHFP), a local multi-stakeholder platform that aims to create a sustainable, healthy and fair food system for the city. BHFP’s 2012 strategy “Spade to Spoon: Digging Deeper”(BHFP 2012) stated: