On 2 July 2026, the London Doughnut Economy Coalition (LDEC) will join Groundswell Festival for a collaborative session exploring one of the most urgent and interconnected challenges of our time: the relationship between cities, food systems and regenerative transition.
Titled “How Can Cities Serve the Farmers to Transform the Food System?”, the session will bring together participants to examine how urban communities, institutions, investors and policymakers can play a more active role in supporting the future of farming and food resilience.
As climate pressures intensify, food systems are increasingly recognised as central to the future of public health, biodiversity, social justice, economic resilience and climate adaptation. Yet while cities consume vast quantities of food and resources, many urban populations remain disconnected from the realities facing farmers and the land itself.
The session asks a timely question:
What responsibilities do cities have in helping build regenerative futures?
Using a Doughnut Economics lens, the conversation will explore how urban systems can better support the transition already underway across farming communities, any new initiatives that could be implemented, and why this transition cannot be carried by farmers alone.
Groundswell has rapidly become one of the UK’s leading gatherings for regenerative agriculture, bringing together farmers, researchers, businesses, communities and innovators to exchange ideas and practical solutions for restoring soil health, biodiversity and resilience across food systems.
For LDEC, the conversation is deeply connected to London’s future.
Food systems shape far more than what ends up on our plates. They influence climate resilience, ecological health, local economies, supply chains and the long-term wellbeing of cities themselves. Building a thriving London therefore requires rebuilding relationships between urban life and the ecosystems that sustain it.
The session forms part of LDEC’s wider work exploring how Doughnut Economics can help cities operate within social and ecological boundaries — creating futures that are fairer, healthier and more resilient for both people and planet.
📍 Groundswell Festival, Breakout Tent
🗓️ 2 July 2026, 4:30 pm
For more information about Groundswell Festival, visit:
https://www.groundswellag.com
This June, the London Doughnut Economy Coalition (LDEC) is joining London Climate Action Week 2026 with a programme of events exploring what it would take for London to thrive within the needs of people and the means of the planet.
Through workshops, conversations and networking opportunities across Somers Town, Borough and Smithfield, we'll be inviting Londoners to Step Into London's Doughnut and explore the connections between climate action, community wealth, neighbourhood resilience, food systems and systemic change.
Step Into London's Doughnut is both an invitation and an experience. It offers a way to see London through a different lens: one that recognises the connections between social wellbeing, ecological health and economic systems. Rather than focusing only on the challenges we face, it helps us explore the conditions that enable people and places to thrive.
Bringing together communities, businesses, funders, policymakers, researchers and citizens, the programme offers opportunities to learn, connect and take action towards a more resilient, equitable and regenerative London.
Explore the programme and register via our Eventbrite page.
#LondonClimateActionWeek #LCAW2026 #DoughnutEconomics #ClimateAction #CommunityWealth #ThrivingCities
Hosted by LDEC, supported by ACAN, Studio Smithfield, Living Bankside & Somers Town Community Association
