Coffs Coast Local Food Futures Part A_Final Report - Coffs Harbour ...

Introduction
This project established a diverse local food network
that worked at the community level to achieve strong
awareness about the importance of local food supply
in a changing globalised world. The project reinforced
that the issue of food is an accessible entrée into
issues of sustainability and community resilience.
Lessons around project management and changing
institutional approaches to growing food were key
outcomes.
This Final Report and the associated Evaluation Report
located in Part B, form the final deliverable for the
Local Food Futures Project. The project was funded
by the NSW Environmental Trust as part of the Urban
Sustainability Program. The project ran for 3.5 years
from February 2009 to August 2012. The lead partner
in the project was Coffs Harbour City Council. The
project was delivered by a multi-stakeholder Steering
Group, formed as part of the Coffs Coast Local Food
Alliance.
Background
The Local Food Futures Project was developed to
address the global threats of climate change and peak
oil and the social threat surrounding health and wellbeing,
that of obesity, poor diet and lack of access
to fresh fruit and vegetables. The need to facilitate
the development of a sustainable, resilient local food
system is seen as being key to our ability to adapt to
the ever-changing environmental, social and economic
challenges that we face as we move into increasingly
uncertain times.
The need for a sustainable and resilient local food
system is increasingly being seen as a key strategy for
climate change and peak oil mitigation and adaptation
i.e. the need to cut carbon emissions associated with
how we grow and transport our food and to build
adaptive capacity within our communities to cope
with the imminent major upheavals that we face.
As well as the environmental outcomes that can
be delivered through relocalisation of our food
system, there are also significant economic and
social benefits. Increasing people’s access to fresh
fruit and vegetables is a key strategy for improving
community health outcomes. Local food systems keep
dollars in the local economy and provide increased
opportunities for jobs around areas such as growing,
processing, sales, restaurants and tourism.
across state and local government and community
groups. The partners bring a range of interests and
expertise to the project around the themes of social,
environmental and economic sustainability.
The project was designed with the aim of encouraging
ownership of the project activities and outcomes
by the community i.e. using a bottom-up, grassroots
approach to change. Since one of the major
challenges in developing a local food system is
that of consumer awareness and understanding of
the value of local food, it was seen as important
that the community group partners took the main
responsibility for the education and awareness raising
aspects of the project.
At the same time there was a clearly identified
need to research, develop and implement a Local
Food Strategy looking at the wider challenges of
developing a local food system including all aspects
of the food chain such as sustainable agriculture
processes, distribution and markets for local growers,
land use planning and urban design.
Vision and Aims
The vision for the project and of the Coffs Coast Local
Food Alliance is
The Coffs Coast region has a showcase
sustainable local food economy that
supports and sustains healthy, connected,
strong and resilient communities who
actively care for each other and their
environment.
The aim of the Local Food Futures Project is to build
community resilience towards the threats of climate
change and peak oil and the need to transition to a
more sustainable, low energy future.
Objectives
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To formulate a multi-level strategic planning response
facilitating food relocalisation in the area.
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To increase community knowledge, awareness and
skills in sustainable consumption and healthy lifestyles
around the theme of local food
––
To support community groups in showcasing sustainable
living activities for the wider community around
the production of local food
The response to these needs and threats was the
formation in June 2008 of the Coffs Coast Local
Food Alliance. This group formed the Steering
Group for this project and consists of partners
This project has been assisted by the NSW
Government through its Environmental Trust
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