At the end of 2008, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) commissioned the Low Carbon Innovation Centre to produce a report investigating the potential of biochar as a soil improver and aid to regional agriculture.

This report shows, through analysis and a wide variety of case studies, that urban agriculture can, in a very practical way, yield a range of benefits.

This report builds upon the Growing food in cities report. Whereas the emphasis of Growing food in cities was very much on the potential benefits of urban agriculture, this report focuses on what the actual benefits have been, and on the feasibility of developing food growing activities further, given London's specific social, economic and environmental context.