Agroecology offers a very different vision of food production to the big-business profit-driven model we’re used to. As the name suggests, food is grown in an ecologically responsible way which contributes to cooling the planet, increases biodiversity and improves soil health. The focus is on small-scale local farming, to reduce food miles and to reintegrate food and communities. A key agroecological concept is ‘food sovereignty’, the idea that everyone, regardless of income or background, should have access to locally grown, healthy, culturally appropriate and affordable food.

The desire to deepen my understanding of agroecology motivated me to enrol on the Grow Leader course at Grow Wilder. Their unique site in Frenchay combines agroecological food growing with nature conservation, and they’ve long been a hub for community engagement on the issue of food and climate change.

As I write this, I’ve just completed the fifth week of the eight-week course. I’ve been extremely impressed by the breadth of topics covered and the depth of knowledge and experience brought by the course tutors. We’ve been on a journey through soil health, pest control, water systems, ecology, and therapeutic horticulture. A great feature of the course is the combination of class-based teaching with on-site practical learning. A particular highlight was the session on soil health, which opened my eyes to the importance of the life-giving ecosystem beneath our feet, all too often taken for granted.