What is a food system?
A food system is “Everyone and everything it takes to get food to our plates”, (SA Urban Food Network).
The food system includes food production and processing, right through to eating and resource recovery.
How is our current food system going?
Food is a big industry in Alexandrina.
$251 million worth of agricultural goods are produced in Alexandrina each year1
- Wine and table grapes ($56.4 million)1
- Cereal crops ($17.7 million)1
- Vegetables ($15.8 million)1
- Nurseries and cut flowers ($14 million)1.
2558 people are employed in food-related roles2
- 1135 in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing2
- 1003 in Food Retailing and Service2
- 420 in Food and Beverage Manufacturing2
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing is the largest industry employer in Alexandrina (alongside Health Care)2.
But not everything is going well…
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20-35% of our carbon emissions are from the food system (3) (4) | Employment in the agriculture industry is reducing (1) | 1 in 5 shopping bags of food are wasted (5) | 1 in 8 South Australians go hungry (6) | 32% of waste going to landfill is organic and could be recycled (7) |
1. ABS 2020-21. 2. National Institute of Economic and Industry Research 2021-22. 3. Xu et al. 2021. 4. Food & Climate Research Network 2015. 5. Food Innovation Australia Limited 2021. 6. Foodbank SA 2020. 7. FRWA 2021-2022.
We are concerned about:
- Climate change affecting food production
- Chemical vs regenerative or organic farming
- Loss or lack of skilled labour in agriculture
- Ageing farming population
- Foreign ownership of farmland, water access rights and supply chains
- Integration and consideration of nature in development and agriculture
- Rising cost of living.
What kind of food system would we like to see in Alexandrina?
In 2021 Alexandrina Council was involved in a collaborative project with other local and state government organisations, food system stakeholders and communities to answer an important question – How can we enable resilient, regenerative food systems in South Australia?
We asked "how could a regenerative food system drive climate change action? Support local jobs? Reduce food waste? Connect us as a community?". We imagined what a regenerative food system could look like in our communities, and we mapped out how we could get there.
Check out a short video of one of our workshops. To share what we learnt, we created a toolbox to help other Councils and communities to plan for a regenerative food system.
Through the workshops and conversations with Alexandrina's farmers, retailers, gardeners, eaters, researchers, planners and other food system stakeholders, we learnt more about Alexandrina's food system, its challenges and opportunities.
Read the Our Local Food System Summary Report – October 2021. And together, we created a shared vision for a regenerative food system in Alexandrina.
How will we get there?
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| Enabling Regenerative Farming | Supporting Local Food | Encouraging Sustainable Planning and Design | Reducing Food Waste | Learning alongside First Nations | Facilitating Education and Awareness |
- How can you learn more and get involved? How can you learn more and get involved?
- Other useful links Other useful links
The workshops and conversations were a first step to better understand the food system and co-create a regenerative food future.
The journey has only just begun. We are interested in talking to and collaborating with individuals, community groups, businesses, non-government and government organisations to build a thriving food system in Alexandrina.
- Get involved in the Hills and Fleurieu Local Food Future project
- Find out about what to expect when moving to a rural area in Alexandrina, and how to be a part of a resilient and thriving community shaped by our agricultural lifestyle in the Rural Living Handbook
- Connect with your local community garden or share produce through your nearest Grow Free cart
- Find out how we’re collaborating on Food Systems with other Councils and our shared toolbox
To find out more, including how you can be involved in bringing this vision to life, check out the following links or contact Alexandrina Council on 8555 7000 or alex@alexandrina.sa.gov.au
Cittaslow Goolwa (Cittaslow meaning ‘slow town’), is a whole-of-community approach to promoting quality of life and sustainability in towns and cities based on a partnership between local government and communities. You can get involved in a range of Cittaslow activities including their bi-monthly Produce and Artisans Market, Cittaslow Community Garden, Cittaslow Corner shop, workshops and community events.
The South Australian Urban Food Network is a volunteer network of community members, community groups and governments working towards a shared vision for a regenerative local food system in South Australia.
The Food Systems Network are a South Australian-based network of local and state government representative and organisations coming together to learn, share and act to increase government and community action to create a more resilient, fair and regenerative food system for South Australian.
The Food Embassy is a Fleurieu-based social enterprise focussed on building a regenerative food system. Its vision is to build local food communities that restore and nurture our connection to ourselves, our community, and our planet. The Food Embassy activates local regenerative food systems by building awareness and connection through workshops, events and training for all players in the food system, from community to business and government organisations.
Fleurieu Food are a not-for-profit member-based organisation promoting the delicious food of the Fleurieu region and creating connections between foodies – whether you’re a local or visitor, a chef or restauranteur, a winemaker or farmer.
Sustainable Table are a charitable organisation who are transforming farming, food and fibre systems in Australia. They are not your typical funding organisation. Through capacity building, collaboration and linking projects with aligned funders they are enabling projects that can lead the way towards food system regeneration.
Sustain: The Australian Food Network a “think and do” network that enables the transition to a food system that supports flourishing communities, individuals and ecosystems. Sustain gives people, councils, and organisations the tools they need to help them become empowered food citizens, supporting healthy communities, people and ecosystems.
