Aside from serious researchers looking to access the largest collection of books, periodicals, journals and sound recordings in the world, there generally isn’t much cause for us to engage with the British Library, located in London’s King’s Cross area. (1) However, a new exhibition may change that – temporarily, at least. The Unearthed: The Power of Gardening, explores and celebrates the social and frequently political history of cultivation, plant acquisition and land use throughout British history.exhibition running until Mosiah 10th. The key attraction is the involvement of Coco Collective – Ital Community Garden, an Afro-diaspora led community garden that is the brainchild of Sis. Valerie Goode.(https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/unearthed-the-power-of-gardening) (2)
Coco Collective have four short films in the exhibition emphasising our holistic communal wellbeing through themes like “decolonisning the garden” as a means to reconnecting us to our heritage, not only Ancestrally but also generationally, as was the case in post Euro tribal war 2 migration to the UK. (3)
The focus on food, or perhaps more accurately food security in the Afrikan community has never been more acute. One major factor is the 19.1% spike in food prices (the highest since 1977) resulting in a sharp rise in food insecurity. Here, “People in a household from a Black/African/Caribbean/Black British ethnic group were most likely to experience food insecurity at 21%. This is three times the proportion of the “white” group and double the “Asian” group. Economic prospects do not give the impression that this state of affairs is likely to change soon. (4)
In the wake of the establishment of Coco Collective in south London in 2021, there’s been a flurry of activity, particularly among Afrikan women, getting back to the soil in the community. (5) Out of nscessity, these approaches have to be communual given that there are over 90,000 people are on waiting lists for the UK’s 300,000 council-owned allotments, with wait times varying. In Wandsworth for example, some applicants have waited as long as 18 years. (6)
One example is Grow Box project – a popular community garden in east London – teaching locals how to grow their own fruit, herbs and vegetables founded by Sis. Freda Anna in Canning Town, east London in September 2004. There’s also Divica Reid, an author and educator from College Park, northwest London, who utilisies her three feet by six feet balcony and now runs balcony gardening workshops, teaching others how to grow food in small spaces. Sis. Sandra Salazar D’eca, founded Go Grow With Love to support women of African and Caribbean heritage in Tottenham and Enfield in nurturing a reciprocal relationship with local land and grow nutritional, culturally relevant food that feeds families and unites communities. There is also Pamela Shor, one of the co-founders of Black Rootz, described as “the UK’s first multigenerational, Black-led growing enterprise.” She sees her work as “reconnecting Londoners with seed, ancestral knowledge and earth.” (7)
There’s arguably a low key revolution going on, around the most vital resources of land and food. As Sis. Valerie says:
“When you leave your food production in the hands of other people, you are leaving your health, your wellbeing, your sense of identity … in the hands of other people. When we reclaim our food, we reclaim our power.” (8)
Such a movement will require larger tracts of land, a challenge in England where 1% control 50% of it. In the interim the concept of land stewardship through land trusts, where land is allocated conserved and cared for regardless of ties to ownership, may be an avenue to go down. For it to be effective would require significant mobilisation
(1) Lise Smith (28/09/16) How To Make The Most Of The British Library. https://londonist.com/2016/05/you-can-visit-the-british-library-1
(2) Esther Addley (07/05/25) Food and freedom: exhibition charts radical history of gardening in Britain. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/07/exhibition-radical-history-of-gardening-in-britain-unearthed-british-museum
(3) Phoebe Weston (25/02/22) ‘I grew yam on my veranda’: inside London’s little-known Windrush gardens. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/25/inside-london-windrush-gardens-caribbean-aoe
(4) Brigid Francis-Devine (08/04/24) Who is experiencing food insecurity in the UK? https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/who-is-experiencing-food-insecurity-in-the-uk/; Natalia Junquera (22/05/24) Gary Stevenson: ‘Economists have been all wrong about almost everything for 15 years now’ https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-05-22/gary-stevenson-economists-have-been-all-wrong-about-almost-everything-for-15-years-now.html
(5) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (11/03/24) Food Security:What does it mean? https://alkebulan.org/2024/03/11/aswag-476-what-is-food-security/
(6) Sinai Fleary (22/05/25) How Black Britons Are Growing Their Own Food Amid Rising Costs. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/2025/05/22/how-black-britons-are-growing-their-own-food-amid-rising-costs/
(7) Ibid.; We Feed The UK (12/08/24) Regenerative Conversation: Black-led Community Farming. https://wefeedtheuk.org/2024/08/12/regenerative-conversation-community-farming/
(8) African News Network (02/05/25) AFRICOM’s-Accusations-Ignite-Pan-African-Unity-as-Support-for-Traoré-Surges-Worldwide. https://africannewsnetwork.org/news/AFRICOM%E2%80%99s-Accusations-Ignite-Pan-African-Unity-as-Support-for-Traor%C3%A9-Surges-Worldwide
(9) Niellah Arboine and The Lead (29/05/25) We need more Black farmers to help tackle the UK food crisis. https://national.thelead.uk/p/we-need-more-black-farmers-to-help
We ask the question:
Are we ready for a food revolution?
1) What does “decolonisning the garden” really mean?
2) Why is our community so food insecure?
3) Why are Afrikan women so prominent in our food security movement?
4) How can we mobilise to engage in larger scale farming?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Sis. Valerie Goode: is the founder the Coco Collective Ital Garden and previously worked in sustainable and ethical fashion. Founded in 2021 Coco Collective operate community Gardens in Bellingham and a youth-led one in Catford. The sites also run workshops on different aspects of gardening as well as mental health.
Bro. Shabaka Pinder: is an activist who works with the Pan-Afrikan Reparations Youth Forum and the Black Policy Institute and is also involved in the Pan- Afrikan Reparations Internationalist Standing Conference. Bro. Shabka is also a Ital Chef that volunteers with Coco Collective and cooks for most of their events and is a landowner of his family farm in Kenya.
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