Our
Approach
We believe Ecology, Food and Creativity are key to human and planet wellbeing.
Ecology
Exploring our gardens and noticing the interactions that take place in them offers a practical way to engage with ecology. We see our gardens as a microenvironment to learn more about all living beings, including ourselves, and how we can live together in harmony. We are closely observing the behaviour of plants and animals, the cycle of water, the nature of our soil, the workings of the seasons... Tending to the garden is the basis of our ecological exploration, what drives our food advocacy, inspires our programme and guides our passion for learning.
Food
Food is a focal point between ourselves and the environment and an important tool to achieve sustainability, so it is a central topic for us. We are passionate about food that is organic, healthy, nutritious, sustainable and tasty.
We believe that there should be more discussion about food. Where does the food we eat come from? Is it healthy? Are our food systems sustainable? Are they resilient? These are some of the questions we like to put on the table together with the food we grow in our kitchen garden.
Food is a right, but the inability to obtain healthy affordable food is still a problem across the world. In London, more than 2.3 million people live below the poverty line and 33% of adults have skipped meals to save money so that their children can eat. This says a lot about our food system. Industrialisation, globalisation and monoculture have proved deeply unsustainable and our urban lives have made many forgot about the origins of food, its seasons, its diversity, its real taste and its value.
Two strategic partnerships are making our food advocacy reach far and wide. OmVed Gardens is the London Action Hub of the UN World Food Programme - awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize - and The Chefs’ Manifesto, promoted by the SDG2 Advocacy Group. Together we seek to inspire people to make changes in their kitchens and communities and empower them to call on governments and companies to also play their part.
Creativity
At OmVed, we are open to art in all its forms and we feel it is a powerful way to engage with nature. In fact, art was born as a record of our encounters with nature, and artists’ experiences with nature continue to inspire them today.
With its evocative and healing power, art can move us, engage our senses and positively affect our lives in a similar way to nature, so it is important for us to cultivate it and take care of it.
With this in mind, we use our glasshouse to host exhibitions and events that reflect on food, ecology and sustainability through the lens of different artistic disciplines including fine art, photography, sculpture, ceramics, music and film.
We believe that creativity, in all its forms, is key to balance old and new wisdom, to connect to our surroundings and to enact change.