Food Security, Local Government And Edible Public Gardens
Cooperatives, Social Businesses, Strong Local Economies
April 18, 2010Climate Change Message Based On Science NOT Modelling
April 19, 2010Darebin Council in inner Melbourne is encouraging ‘sustainable food choices’. They, and Transition Darebin, part of the Transition Town network, will work together on a $75,000 plan to trial growing produce at two sites on public land and also look at maintenance issues.
Support From Councillors
Increasing numbers of low income and vulnerable members of the Darebin community are being affected by ‘food insecurity’ – jargon for sometimes not having access to nutritious food or running out of food and not being able to afford more.
The two councillors who voted against the policy said it didn’t go far enough, that the proposed projects did not target those most affected such as the elderly and the poor, who might not have enough food in their homes.
Good Food Alliance
The feeling is that the council has an obligation to educate the community on more sustainable food options.
Darebin and neighbouring Banyule Council are part of a Good Food Alliance and have funding from the Victorian Health Department to address food access in disadvantaged areas by holding community information forums on healthy eating and food security, running a Healthy Eating for Children program and participating in a range of research projects.
Council’s Approach
The aim is to ‘take action to reduce the environmental impacts of food and to ensure more equitable food practices.’
• Reducing the intake of red meat and dairy, which are greenhouse intensive
• Buying locally grown seasonal produce which hasn’t used as much energy to transport and refrigerate
• Choosing less processed and packaged foods
• Growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruit
• Avoiding food waste by planning meals and buying only what you need
• Considering organic, fair trade and free range products
Wonder if there’s been any conflict with some residents wanting public land for leisure/space?
1 Comment
I really love the idea of community gardens and growing your own food, but I think we have lost the knowledge of growing vegetables. This means that providing people with regional growing advice is really important.
I say this as an enthusiastic but un-knowledgeable gardener who has started a home veggie garden – apparently my zucchinis aren’t growing because there are not enough bees – who knew!
There are ways to disseminate this knowledge and done well these projects can really make a difference – but even buying seeds and seedlings and raising them costs money so information will be the key to changing behaviour.