Regenerating our climate and our wellbeing through collective action

Our planet is suffering as a result of our actions. Symptoms of climate change – rising sea levels, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, air pollution, ozone layer depletion, and so on – are attributable to human activity. Food production plays a major part in this, contributing to around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.1 The commercialisation and mass-production of food in chemical intensive farms has led to diminished biodiversity, high greenhouse gas emissions, and vast amounts of food waste.

Moreover, extreme weather events caused by climate change obstruct crop production and threaten food security, which is already under pressure due to poverty, low-income rates, and unemployment. Scientists worldwide are attempting to remedy this issue, by introducing and testing more sustainable forms of food production. Climate adversity poses not only an ecological issue, but a social one.

A recent international survey revealed over 60% of young people feel sad, afraid, or anxious because of climate change and the threats it poses.2 The impact of the climate crisis on our mental health has never been more present, with ‘climate anxiety support’ now becoming a common search entry on the internet. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an increased impetus on our mental wellbeing and the things we can do to look after it. This thesis responds to rising climate anxiety and food insecurity in Bristol by creating a ‘store’ of climate resources and resulting in a two-fold programme.

First, a Future Food Research Centre that will innovate sustainable food production like insect farming and cellular agriculture. Second, a Wellness Farm intended to alleviate mental health issues in Bristol, specifically climate anxiety, through the medium of farming and gardening. Collective action is integrated throughout all aspects of the design, from programme to construction, as a significant remedy to both climate anxiety and food insecurity.