High food prices and an increasing awareness of the damage caused to the environment by buying from abroad has led to a rising demand for people to grow their own. Campaigners in Brighton and Hove are now launching a range of projects to encourage us to pick up a spade and get digging. So can the city become the urban growing capital of the UK? Alison Cridland reports.

A new project aims to make Brighton and Hove the nation's urban growing capital, with nut trees on street corners and vegetables sprouting on balconies.

There could be fruit trees along the Old Steine and courgettes growing on council estates.

Harvest Brighton and Hove has been launched with the aim of increasing the amount of food grown in homes, allotments and public spaces.

Supporters believe that with food prices the highest in years and concerns about the environmental damage caused by food travelling long distances, it is time for a change.

And campaigners are confident the city's residents will get behind the challenge and get digging.

The three-year project, led by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and Food Matters, has been awarded £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

Groups across the city are involved in a range of schemes which will focus on growing, cooking and eating more local food – instead of relying on supermarkets.

The partnership is tonight (Monday) hosting the Food Festival Debate, titled Can a City Feed Itself?, when Jonathan Porritt, chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, will lead a discussion about the role urban growing can play in creating greater food security and environmental sustainability.

In Brighton and Hove campaigners have already started mapping out sites where food could be grown.

They are looking at creating extra allotments to add to the 2,500 already across the city, growing vegetables in parks and on empty land on housing estates and around public buildings.

Ideas include getting people to share their neighbour's gardens to grow food and encouraging scrumping for unharvested fruit to turn into juice and pickles.

Claire Devereux, policy director of Food Matters, said supporters believe the city could become the UK's urban food growing capital.

She said: "There is a foodie culture developing in the city.

"It is a challenge but the city can provide more of its food than is currently happening."

Claire said her message to residents is "Get your garden tools out."

She said: "Get involved. Even if you don't have a garden you can grow salads and herbs on your windowsill.

"If you can't grow your own then buy food produced in the city."

She hopes that residents will soon start to see more food being produced around the city streets. She said: "There are a lot of empty spaces around that could be used. If a plot is not suitable for vegetables it could have a fruit tree."

At the end of the three years the project will be evaluated by the University of Brighton's school of environment and technology, which will be collecting data on the amount of extra food grown in the city.

Claire said: "We will be able to give details and say exactly how much we have increased the amount of growing. We are hoping that will make us the growing capital of the UK.

"I think there will definitely be more people growing food in the city than in any other of a comparable size."

Green councillor Paul Steedman said people across the city were excited by the project.

He believes it has the potential to be the growing capital, as long as there is local political backing.

He said: "It is a big challenge but Brighton and Hove has got just the right combination of people with the expertise, enthusiasm and skills that could really make it happen.

"But it won't be a success unless it is supported by the policy makers and large organisations in the city."

Coun Steedman said he wanted the council, health service and major companies to look at their land and consider where they can start growing food.

He said: "I would love to see more food production on our council estates." He suggests that part of the lawns around flats in Albion Hill could be used for allotments.

He added: "I would like to see courgettes growing on council estates."

Campaigners are already looking to the future and to farmland on the outskirts of the city.

Claire said: "We do have a lot of farm land within easy reach around the city. It is not particularly productive at the moment for producing food for the city. Hopefully, one day in the not too distant future, all the farms around the city will grow more food that is coming straight into the city."

Do you grow your own, or want to and need advice on what to grow and how to cook it? Read our new blog from allotment keeper extraordinaire Kay Sexton.