The ACT Government has released Canberra’s first food strategy for community consultation.
“The development of the Draft Canberra Region Local Food Strategy supports a future for the local agriculture industry to increase supply for the Canberra community, and improve sustainability, affordability, and accessibility to locally produced healthy food,” the ACT Government states.
“Farming and market gardening has remained historically smaller and less diverse in the ACT compared to other Australian city regions such as Sydney and Melbourne. The Canberra region, encompassing the ACT and Southeast NSW, hosts farms at all scales growing a diverse range of produce including beef, lamb, dairy, grain, and boutique crops of fruit, vegetables, nuts and wine. The South Coast also supports a local fishing industry.
“Despite this vibrant production from the Canberra region, many producers sell primarily into and through Sydney due to its market size and infrastructure. This leaves the ACT with a high demand for increased supply of local produce. A 2013 study, Food in the ACT, found that the Canberra region could meet demand solely through local supply…
“Through the Strategy, the ACT Government will look to empower and support the meaningful involvement of the Ngunnawal community and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the bush food and Traditional plant industry in and around the ACT.
“The draft Strategy aims to encapsulate a vision that Canberra is part of a global community of city-regions working to strengthen local food systems by fostering urban and regional agriculture. This will result in increased community access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. It will see our greenhouse gas emissions reduce, will diversify the local food economy, will reduce and repurpose food waste, and will strengthen community wellbeing.”
Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Minister for the Environment, said the strategy builds on the engagement with the ACT community last year, which showed strong support from Canberrans for a formal strategy to secure our local food production.
“This strategy heralds a new approach from the ACT Government to how we value local food production as part of delivering on our vision for Canberra as a vibrant, liveable, affordable and climate-resilient city.” Ms Vassarotti said.
“The Draft Canberra Region Local Food Strategy is the first of its kind for the ACT and will help guide the future planning and management of the region’s rural and urban agricultural production through a roadmap for a sustainable and resilient local food system.
“We are in a climate crisis. Harnessing the power of local food production is a vital step in our community’s fight to drastically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions caused by imported foods.
“Through this strategy, Canberra will be able to learn from other city-regions that have worked to build strong, vibrant, and sustainable local food systems that connect urban and rural communities.
“Our strategy charts a path for the government and community, guiding us towards a future characterised by thriving local food production.
“It outlines four key objectives: to foster greater local food production and consumption, to promote equitable access to healthy food, to encourage economic and social prosperity through robust food systems, and to uphold sustainable urban and rural farming practices.
“We want to hear from the community and those in the local food production industry about what they think of the draft strategy, and what the Government can do to support them.
“The strategy will strengthen access to fresh, healthy and affordable food, all while building valuable community connections.”
Consultation is open until 20 October.
Visit the YourSay Conversations website for more information on the Draft Canberra Region Local Food Strategy, as well as an online community session this month.
