Give Wiltshire public fruit trees and a community fruit distribution network

As a resident of Chippenham, Wiltshire, I call upon my town and county Councillors to introduce a network of public fruit trees and local fruit distribution systems across the county. Residents should be allowed to pick fresh fruit in their own neighbourhoods; share fruit through local distribution hubs and food banks; and volunteer their skills to act as custodians for the trees.

Why do we need public fruit trees?

- Socio-economic benefits
In the UK, fruits and vegetables are the most expensive food group per calorie – more than twice as costly as processed foods. Consequently, many families can’t afford to meet the requirements of a healthy diet.[1] Despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, organic fruits are often seen as an expensive luxury. In contrast, public fruit trees and distribution hubs would give everyone access to free, nutritious, and chemical-free food.[2]

- Community benefits
Public fruit trees can increase residents’ sense of appreciation for their town and the natural environment, whilst community harvesting and sharing of fruit promotes social connectivity. By attracting people to greenspaces with their fruit and beautiful flowers, they may also promote physical and mental wellbeing.[2,3] By giving citizens a beneficial natural resource, the Council is likely to enhance its relationship with the local community.[4]

- Climate benefits
The UK’s fruit consumption has a carbon footprint of 7,900,000 tonnes CO2eq/year (as of 2019) - mostly due to transport and refrigeration, but also packaging and farming practices.[5] Picking fruit locally would avoid all of these issues, whilst the trees would absorb CO2 and shield against extreme temperatures.[2]

- Ecological benefits
Fruit trees can increase local biodiversity, habitat diversity, and flood mitigation, whilst their flowers provide food for pollinators.[2] They would also reduce reliance on fruits grown with fertilisers and pesticides.

- Food security
84% of fruit consumed in the UK is imported, with an increasing reliance on imports from climate-vulnerable countries.[6,7] Unforeseen shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine may also affect fruit imports, highlighting the need for localised food production.

- Benefits to children
Local schools could be involved in planting the trees and picking the fruit, allowing children to connect to nature and learn about food production.[2] Studies suggest that children are more likely to eat fruits they have planted and/or picked themselves,[8,9] reducing risks of poor childhood nutrition.

What am I asking for?

- Fruit trees planted in prominent public spaces (e.g., parks) across Chippenham, and ultimately across every town in Wiltshire. The location and type of fruit trees should be decided through an open, democratic, and ecologically sound planning process.

- Signage to reassure people that the fruit is safe and legal to pick. In Herzogenaurach, Germany, this is achieved with a simple yellow ribbon saying, “Pick Me!”[4] This could also be applied to existing trees with edible fruit.

- Distribution hubs (e.g., community centres or markets) where fruit can be shared, either for free or for a donation. Citizens could also share fruits, vegetables, jams, etc. from their own gardens, to promote neighbourliness and reduce waste.

- A team of voluntary “tree custodians” to care for the trees, gather excess fruit, and take fruit to distribution hubs and foodbanks - including at least one tree maintenance expert per group. This should alleviate any concerns that the trees will be expensive to maintain, or that fruit will be left to rot. A successful example of a similar scheme is Not Far From The Tree in Toronto, Canada, where volunteers pick and distribute their neighbours’ fruit.[10]

References:
[1] FF_Broken_Plate_Report 2022_DIGITAL_3.pdf (foodfoundation.org.uk)
[2] Microsoft Word - Gazibara_FruitTreesCity_Dec2011 (squarespace.com)
[3] The socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees: A Montreal case-study - ScienceDirect
[4] Pick Me! My Village Planted Public Fruit Trees Anyone Can Harvest | by Crystal Rose-Wainstock | New Writers Welcome | Medium
[5] Life cycle environmental impacts of fruits consumption in the UK - ScienceDirect
[6] United Kingdom Food Security Report 2021: Theme 2: UK Food Supply Sources - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[7] UK’s fruit and vegetable supply increasingly dependent on imports from climate vulnerable producing countries - PMC (nih.gov)
[8] Changing children's eating behaviour - A review of experimental research - ScienceDirect
[9] A Garden Pilot Project Enhances Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Children - ScienceDirect
[10] About Us – Not Far From the Tree