Abertay students work to solve food issues as Dundee Sustainable Food Place project announced

Abertay students work to solve food issues as Dundee Sustainable Food Place project announced

Business Management students at Abertay University have produced creative new solutions to address Dundee’s food sustainability issues as part of the national drive towards net-zero.

Almost 80 third year students were challenged to analyse ways in which Dundee’s food system could be improved following the announcement that the city is one of five new places in Scotland working towards becoming one of the UK’s Sustainable Food Places. 

Sustainable Food Places is a partnership programme led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain. 

It is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund, and currently has 55 members across the UK.

Nourish Scotland - Sustainable Food Place’s national partner in Scotland - is supporting key stakeholders, including Abertay University, as they work to create their own partnership model for the city of Dundee.

The Abertay University students have produced a wide variety of work, with a survey from one group showing 77% of Dundonians believe the foodbank is the only source of help to those experiencing food insecurity.

Another group focused on what Dundee could do to become more self-sustainable and identified national projects that could be implemented in the city.

A plan for a mobile farmers market that could visit communities across the city was also put forward, in addition to better education and communication about food.

In a series of online Q&A presentations to a wide variety of key stakeholders, the students concluded more must be done to highlight the issue of food sustainability in the local area.

Viv Colle, Events Lead at Abertay University, is coordinating the wider Dundee Sustainable Food Place project.

She said: “I have been very impressed with the interest and effort of the students in looking at the issues around sustainable food in the city.  I hope their findings will be used to inform the roll-out of Dundee becoming one of Scotland’s Sustainable Food Places.”

Claire MacEachen of Abertay’s School of Business, Law and Social Sciences said: “It’s been fantastic to have our students involved in a project which will improve Dundee’s food sustainability now and in the future.

“This is just one example of a real-world project that students on our Business and Marketing courses get access to, ensuring they leave university not just with their degree but withthe real business experience that employers look for.”