New Optimists Forum, #tnofood & what’s happened since 2nd November

We knew lots of interesting stuff would happen once we began the conversation about food futures for Birmingham 2050.

So no surprise that the first New Optimists Forum event on 2nd November sparked just that.

Take medic Jim Parle’s video interview on food deserts in Birmingham, a podcast about the importance of data by computer scientist Ian Nabney and twitter at #tnofood and you’ll understand what caught the curiosity of Richard Burden MP. On 9th November, he confirmed that he had done what he promised; i.e. written to Sainsbury’s:

 

For a great summary of all of that, see Nick Booth’s Podnosh post.

Simon Whitehouse at Digital Birmingham and I have also had a conversation about mapping; i.e. what do we know/what could we know about the what and where in terms of fruit trees in parks and streets, allotments, garden produce, guerilla gardening, @edibleeastside, that kind of thing.

Significant though it is, much more happened during the evening’s conversations among the scientists on 2nd November. We’ve captured it all, one way or another. We’re beginning to analyse it all, plus thinking about the next Forum meeting in the early spring 2012.

More in my next blogpost!