Resistance is Fertile
by I. Love Plants Tuesday November 14, 2006 at 10:55 AM
growyaown@gmail.com

Guerilla Gardeners hit town to resist the G20.

On Tuesday 12th November a punnet of fresh gardeners from Melbourne and interstate created a new vegetable garden in the Floral Clock opposite the National Gallery of Victoria. The new community garden space has been planted with beans, tomatoes, lettuce, sun flowers and a variety of different herbs for community consumption, as well as a large floral display saying "STOP G20".

Guerilla Gardeners plant fruit and vegetables in public spaces, challenging assumptions of private ownership, providing a local source of organic food, and building community. Industrial agriculture swallows 67% of Australia's water usage with households only accounting for 9%. The industrial nature of large-scale agriculture and the shipping and transport necessary to get goods to population centres accounts for nearly 20% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

The Guerilla Gardening group are are part of the mobilisation against the Group of 20 (G20), meeting in Melbourne on the 17-19th November. The G20 is a forum representing 20 of the largest industrial nations meeting to discuss growth and economic development. Their aim, of constant economic growth fueled by oil and coal consumption, drastically opposes community needs such as environmental protection, workers rights and food localisation. Community gardens put control of food into the hands of communities, rather than relying upon fossil fueled agriculture, which uses harmful chemicals and lots of water.

For more information about the G20 see http://www.stopg20.org.

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