Food in the ACT

Research Background The research was commissioned by the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government to fill a gap in local knowledge. It relates directly to growing national and international research exploring urban food security. Significantly, this includes the Federal government’s National Food Plan, the Heart Foundations Food-Sensitive Urban Planning guidelines and, internationally, examples include “Local Food routes: A summary report of Food Futures” by the Soil Association, the leading non-profit on sustainable food in the U.K. and “Planning for Food access” by Healthy Eating Research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Planning Association's Planning and Community Health Research Center. Research Contribution This study provides a snapshot of food production and consumption in the ACT. The study draws on a variety of data sources including those available through the ABS, ABARES and the ACT Government. It contextualises this within the current planning and policy frameworks being pursued by the ACT Government in relation to local food. It also includes observations and analysis from on-going research into local food production and consumption undertaken by the study’s authors. It synthesises the current data and identifies key knowledge gaps and suggests ways of attending to these in future research in order to best plan for the development of a sustainable, resilient food system Research Significance The research was carried out with category 2 funding form the ACT Government through a competitive application process. The report formed the basis of the Government’s current food futures dialogue carried out in May, 2014 with community and industry representatives.