The Gaia Foundation were delighted to welcome more than 100 guests – including film actor, Jason Isaacs and supermodel, Arizona Muse – to a sneak preview of the We Feed the World photographic exhibition at Petersham Nurseries in Richmond last Thursday.

We couldn’t have asked for a more stunning location to celebrate our upcoming campaign and exhibition and to gather together supporters to raise the much needed funds to launch the exhibition at the Bargehouse Gallery on London’s Southbank in October.

The exhibition will celebrate the critical role that small, family farmers play in feeding the world as well as highlighting the many other benefits of a regenerative system of agriculture; from combating to climate change, to regenerating our soil, to restoring the wellbeing and financial security of communities.

Exclusive framed photographs from 15 of the 46 world renowned photographers who have collaborated on the We Feed the World project were for sale and on display, nestled  amongst the nurseries breathtaking flowers and foliage.  Guests were able to hear more about the project and the issues it addresses from speakers including Gaia’s founding Director Liz Hosken, the author and activist, Raj Patel and the Chief Executive of the African Women’s Development Fund, Theo Sowa:

When it comes to food and farming around the world, we need to change the narrative – to find a new narrative – and We Feed the World is doing is just that. Changing the narrative about small-holder farmers. Changing the narrative about how we feed our world. Changing the narrative about what food can mean to us, does mean to us, how we can grow it and how we can have a different relationship to it.

This exhibition seeks to do that. You don’t see any of these farmers scrabbling in the earth looking sorry for themselves. These are farmers who are proud of what they do because what they do keeps our world alive. These are the people who are at the heart of our responses to the dangers of climate change. I really hope that after seeing this exhibition people will go away feeling an enormous sense of respect for the people in the photographs and really understanding that all of us have a role to play in changing the narrative around farming and around food and around the people who produce that food for us.”

Theo Sowa, Chief Executive of the African Women’s Development Fund

Following these moving and motivating speeches an energetic auction raised over £7,000 for the project, while a raffle featuring a star prize of a private dinner for eight cooked by Petersham chefs, Damian Clisby and Ambra Papa, drew in a further £3,000 in ticket sales. The lucky numbers were drawn by Harry Potter star and food activist, Jason Isaacs.

Gaia would like to extend a big thanks to all those who joined us on the night to support the project as well as to all those who gave so generously towards the auction, raffle and of their time on the night.

The We Feed the World photographic exhibition will open at the Bargehouse Gallery to the public on Friday 12th October and run for ten days. Find out more here.

Article by Francesca Price. Photographs by Marc Schlossman.