About Blasda
What is Blasda? We are Scotland’s local food feast. Blasda is gaelic for tasty, delicious, appetising, sweet. From blas (“taste, flavour”). As in “That vindaloo’s blasda!”
All across the country in multiple different locations groups are hosting ‘local food feasts’ to celebrate regional food variation and culture. The feast is part of Scotland’s Food and Drink Fortnight (see more here) and is supported by the Climate Challenge Fund.
Derek Robertson Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful has said:
The Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, which is administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, is very pleased to sponsor Blasda 2012. This very worthwhile venture will not only help celebrate Scottish food culture but also highlight how CCF grants support community food groups who want to reduce their carbon footprint. We see the CCF as being instrumental in supporting initiatives such as this and we hope this will encourage other groups to work in this sustainable way.”
The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) was launched by the Scottish Government in 2008, to help Scottish communities tackle climate change. To date more than £40m has been awarded to 382 community groups across Scotland.
To be eligible for CCF grants, projects must be community-led, aim to achieve a realistic and measureable carbon reduction and leave a sustainable legacy.
So far, 196 community-led projects dealing with local food have received grants totalling almost £17 million. Keep Scotland Beautiful is responsible for administration of the scheme and provides additional support as community groups develop, manage and report on their CCF projects.
Case studies – CCF funded food projects:
Shettleston Community Growing Project, Glasgow reduced CO2e emissions through locally grown food at a successful community allotment scheme, plus initiatives to reduce car use and to promote tool recycling.
Northbay Gardens, Barra in the Western Isles received a grant to grow fresh food for local consumption in polytunnels. This reduced the need for produce shipped from the mainland and associated CO2e emissions.
Further information
Community Action Support Programme (CASP).
CASP aims to provide support and point to resources, build links and partnerships with wider society and increase community group’s ability to tackle climate change. For more information please see here.
Food production and CO2e emission; the role of local food projects.
Food production impacts on our CO2e emissions and local food projects can make a real difference in tackling climate change.
Growing food locally can reduce the distance food travels and the fertilisers and pesticides which are used. It can also make us much more aware of seasonality – eating what is grown close by.
Becoming aware of food waste and cutting down the food we purchase then throw out can have a massive impact on our emissions – each family throws out an average of 330 kgs of food, which can represent over 1.2 tonnes of CO2e.
How Can I Join in?
To join all you need to do is get in touch – Mike Small [mike@fifediet.co.uk] or John O Donoghue [john@fifediet.co.uk] and register your interest. You can call us on 01592 871 371. We’ll send you a Blasda Events Toolkit and a download link to create your own event posters.
You can follow us on Twitter @BlasdaFoodFeast and keep up to date with us on Facebook here.