Resilience implies adaptation to changing conditions - climate change, diversity loss, environmental degradation.

DCAN is tackling this through collaboration with other groups, linking them up through our network.

1. Food

Everyone should have access to healthy food at an affordable price. This will become more difficult as climate change affects growing cycles with wetter winters and hotter, drier summers. On a global scale this can lead to multi-crop failures, with many people no longer having access to food.

The food industry is increasing making people dependent on ultra-processed food, resulting in poor health and obesity, particularly in the less well-off.

DCA has been working with Help and Kindness, through a series of webinars, to promote a local, sustainable, healthy, fair and affordable food system throughout the county.

If you would like to know more, please contact Sandra

2. Waste

We aim to work with Sustainable Cerne Valley in the 4RFuture Initiative, to explore initiatives already up and running in Dorset, and to develop similar methods to further reduce landfill throughout the county.

Refuses, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are the pillars of the circular economy.

3. Defashioning

Working in collaboration with Defashion Dorset, we aim to tackle the millions of tonnes of textile waste which arise from the fashion industry. The environmental degradation caused chemicals used in growing cotton, and the human costs in picking, turning the fibres into textiles, their making clothes in sweatshops, and the subsequent disposal of unwanted clothes are a disgrace. repairing, repurposing and reselling preloved clothes are essential stages in reducing the impact of fast fashion.

Come and join one of our workshops at Hawkers Farm- contact Jennifer.

4. Transport

Transport accounts for 16% of our Carbon Emissions, and the continued growth of private car ownership is clearly unsustainable. Working in collaboration with Dorset Transport Action Groups, we aim to promote efficient and affordable public transport for all. We contributed to the Dorset CAN Dorset Local Plan consultation submission, and to the Travel Better chapter of Zero Carbon Dorset’s “Dorset 2030” Report.

• We are supporting the 20s Plenty for Us campaign in Dorset.
• We are looking at assisting with the organisation of Car Free Days at several locations across Dorset, to raise the profile of the use of public transport and active travel across Dorset.

5. Youth

Young people obviously represent the future, and we aim to help them find ways of living in a sustainable way.