Bellingen Shire Food Resilience Vision project prepares report Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News Highlight Section by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 25, 2021 Sue Lennox, Co-Founder of OzGREEN facilitating a stakeholders workshop in Bellingen. OVER the last three months, OzGREEN has been meeting with local food stakeholders and communities to investigate their biggest concerns about Food Resilience, what they would like to see happen (vision), how they see this vision can be achieved (change ideas) and action plans to deliver. “These meetings and workshops are all part of the Bellingen Shire Food Resilience Vision project, an initiative of Bellingen Shire Council, supported by a grant from the Australian Government and NSW Government,” Sue Lennox, Co-Founder of OzGREEN told News Of The Area. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au The meetings were interactive, structured and encouraged visionary ideas and commitment to action. “Over the coming weeks the outputs from these various workshops will be collated into a report to be presented to the Bellingen Shire Council in March 2022. “This report will be a useful resource for the community and stakeholders and can be used to support funding applications for projects to strengthen our Food Resilience,” said Sue. Some of the ‘concerns’ being expressed by community members attending the meetings include: • Lack of resilience in the current food systems, including ‘just-in-time’ supply chains. • The impact of climate change and increasing environmental threats. • Farm viability and succession – young people are leaving the Shire and land prices are going through the roof. • Lack of community understanding about where their food comes and seasonal eating. Some of the ‘Vision’ ideas include: • We have rapidly transitioned to an economic system that is regenerative, circular and resilient. • Our food systems are intelligent, resilient, localised, intergenerational, coordinated and collaborative, supporting sustainable agriculture producers through extension, marketing, group certification and vertical integration. Many of the ‘Change’ ideas are encouragingly inclusive and collaborative. They include community education programs, community events, partnerships, and infrastructure legislation to encourage Food Resilience. By Andrea FERRARI Paul Harper, Cedar Bar and Kitchen, Aaron Knowles, Bello Food Box and Anton Juodvalkis, OzGREEN CEO. Bruce Naylor, Neighbourhood Centres of Bellingen Shire with Julie Ferguson, OzHarvest.
