How can food systems be reimagined as part of the foundational infrastructure of a caring society? 

This roundtable will explore how Universal Basic Services (UBS) offers a framework for embedding food within broader public service ecosystems – from school meals and emergency provision to community kitchens, cooperatives, and publicly supported agriculture.

We’ll be joined by the incredible Ellis Lewis-Dragstra, who will produce illustrations from this discussion. A delicious free lunch will follow this discussion from 1-2pm.

In conversation with change-makers in Tower Hamlets, we’ll examine how local authorities and partners can move beyond emergency food responses to build more resilient, democratic, and just food systems.

The session will bring together policymakers, organisers, and researchers to explore what a UBS-informed approach could mean in practice – and what it demands of local and national actors.

This is organised as a collaborative event by the Autonomy Institute and Wen, working to support the strategic collective goals of Tower Hamlets Food Partnership.