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From Camden squat to City Hall: the Mayor's green ambassador
Mark Prigg, Science Correspondent12 Jan 2009
A FORMER squatter who started his company with cash found on a London street has become one of Boris Johnson's "green ambassadors".
Alex Smith founded Alara Wholefoods, which sells organic muesli, in 1975 while living in a squat in Camden.
He did not use money, collected unsold food and scavenged from New Covent Garden Market.
But when Mr Smith found £2 on the street, he used it to buy entry to the market and started selling the waste food he picked up.
The company began marketing muesli from the squat, made by using the waste fruit and vegetables and buying organic oatmeal.
Alara, now 33 years old, has a turnover of more than £4million, selling almost 200 varieties to retailers including Tesco and Waitrose.
Today Mr Smith, 55, was named by the Mayor as a London Leader of Sustainability. He will talk to companies about how to reduce their waste and create "market gardens" on unused land.
He said: "I started out with the idea of using waste food and selling it, and from that we have built what is a highly successful business.
"We were also the first company in the UK to go waste free, so we now send nothing to landfill."
Alara, which sells about 70 tonnes of muesli a week and is one of Britain's biggest providers, is based in King's Cross and uses green technology including a wind turbine and a wormery to ensure it is as sustainable as possible.
"Having run this company I now want to talk to other companies about what we have learnt," said Mr Smith, who lives in Islington.
The London Leader position, which is chosen by the Mayor and lasts for a year, will also be used to launch a project to convert the capital's wasteland into food producing spaces.
Alara has already built a trial garden on wasteland behind its warehouse, which now produces a range of fruit.
An anaerobic digestion system is also planned to produce energy from rotting plants. Anaerobic digestion - the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen - produces biogas, which can be used as a renewable energy source and fuel for transport.
Mr Smith's company is developing a small-scale digestor which companies could use to provide power for their offices.
"We took what was a very unsavoury area of land, and once we had removed 50 tonnes of rubbish, turned it into a working garden to produce food, and also energy by using the waste," said Mr Smith.
"All across London there are empty wasted spaces that could be used in this way. We managed to get 80 fruit trees and a lot of vegetables into our garden, and I think others can do the same." Mr Smith is working with bodies such as the London Development Agency to target wasteland and turn it into market gardens.
"Because of the Mayor's backing, I now have access to a lot of companies, and I'm confident I can convince them to really change their behaviour. I really want to make a difference."
Mr Johnson said: "Inspirational individuals can really help to galvanise communities and organisations to help create a more liveable, pleasant city."
Reader views (7)
It seems to me that most squatter just occupy empty, unused buildings. what exactly are they stealing?
There is a lot of positives to be learnt from this story.
- Steve, london, 12/01/2009 18:27
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Thanks for that insight Mick. "Property is theft" was coined by the French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in 1840 and has been used out of context by jealous, bitter little people ever since. Fortunately we live in a democracy in the 21st century now. At least I do; I can't speak for you.
- Casper Slides, France at the moment, 12/01/2009 16:58
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let;s hope someone squats on your property now your part of the system and see how you like it
- George, france, 12/01/2009 16:41
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Let us not forget Casper that "Property is Theft".
- Mick, London, England, 12/01/2009 13:29
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Good luck Mr Smith. It is interesting that his is a 'small, entreprenarial, out of the box thinking business', and not one of the huge global conglomerates that has caused this disastrous economic situation and that tax payers are not subsidising to keep on doing more of the same.
- Helen, norwich, 12/01/2009 12:19
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It sounds very romantic that this man has gone from squatter to millionaire but let's not forget that squatter is just another name for a thief.
- Casper Slides, France at the moment, 12/01/2009 12:11
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Mr Smith's unwise confession may find our ever-active (over trivia) police descending on him in force. Keeping the £2 he found was "theft by finding". I can hear the police sirens now!
- Js, Bath, 12/01/2009 11:29
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