Creative food economies: evidence, case studies and actions for

southern Melbourne Dr Nick Rose

Churchill Fellow, 2013 Project Coordinator, Food Systems, Food Alliance

National Coordinator, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance Director, Food Connect Foundation

Creative Food Economy

Appropriate-scale

infrastructure – e.g. Food hubs

Research

collaborations

Food cluster development and business

networks

Education and awareness-

raising - adults and children Increased

markets (direct and

intermediate) for local food

Farmland preservation

+ Access to Water

Governance, leadership & support - e.g.

Food procurement, Food Charter, Food Council

Collaborative financing -

Superannuation, investment vehicles

etc.

Drivers of change

Loss of farmland

Lack of business and employment

Eco-system deterioration

Dietary-related ill-

health

Declining viability of

farming

“Two thirds of the perishable vegetables grown in Australia are grown on the metropolitan fringe of the capital cities…That’s where the best soil is, and we’re running out of land to grow food” – Ian Sinclair, Edge Land Planning “There is a dire lack of action by federal and state governments on planning for food production” – Trevor Budge, La Trobe University

Planning for Food? “In the 1950s, Melbourne had over 2000 km² of agricultural land within the urban boundary, and approximately 90 km² of land for fruit and vegetable growing.

By 2030, it is estimated that none of the original fruit and vegetable-growing areas will be left, and there will be less than 200 km² of agricultural land.” Planning for Food, Food Alliance / Heart Foundation, 2012

Global Food Supply Chains: How power has changed in the Food Industry

Source: C von Schirach Szmigiel, Unilever Board Member

VAMPIRE = Vulnerability Assessment for Mortgage, Petrol and Inflation Risks and Expenditure Dr Jago Dodson, Dr Neil Snipe (Griffith, 2006)

Oil Vulnerability in Melbourne, Institute for Sustainable Transport (2009)

A Drought-Proof Food Bowl?

Indicators of Creative Food Economies • Total direct marketing sales in Japan: $US 15bn

• Total local food sales for the US in 2011: $US 11bn

• Numbers of US farms selling some or all of their produce through local markets in 2012: 136,000, 24% increase from 2010

• Job creation of horticulture farms selling into local markets: 13 full-time workers per $1 mn revenue, cf 3 ft jobs per $1 mn rev for non-local sales

• Farms < 100 acres create 5 times more jobs than farms > 500 acres

• Spending in local independent retailers generates 3 times the number of jobs compared to national supermarkets in the UK

• Employment growth in Toronto’s creative food cluster to reach 10% p/a

• Rise of creative food economy has led to net increase in number of US farms for first time in decades; new farms are small, more diversified production, and have younger operators

Source: Larsen, K., and Rose, N, 2013: Regional Economic Development for Local and Creative Food Economies: A study produced for the development of a Regional Food Strategy by the Southern Melbourne RDA

Food system transformation Existing Food System Emerging Food System

Prioritises mass production Prioritises health

Food is not seen as the business of cities Food is seen as a strategic vehicle

meeting city goals

Founded on access to cheap fossil fuels Environmental protection is a

cornerstone of food production,

processing and distribution

Market forces determine location of food

stores

Neighbourhoods are planned with

food access in mind

Food pricing unconnected to nutritional

benefit

Food pricing favours health choices

Food issues carved up into separate

government departments and jurisdictions

Food solutions come from

collaborative partnerships within

and among governments and civil

society

From Toronto Board of Health, 2010. Cultivating Food Connections: Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Food System for Toronto. City of Toronto, May 2010, p16

www.foodfarmsjobs.org

• Public purchasing procurement target: 20% by 2020 • Creation of Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council: “To

facilitate the growth of an Illinois-based local farm and food product economy that:

- revitalizes rural and urban communities, - promotes healthy eating with access to fresh foods, - creates jobs, - ensures a readily available supply of safe food in an

emergency event, and - supports economic growth through making local farm

or food products available to all Illinois citizens.”

www.intervale.org

Agro-forestry operations that provide sustainably grown wood-chips to generate the bulk of Burlington’s electrical supply

A composting business which converts the city’s organic waste to compost and topsoil, and sells it to farms, nurseries and households

A farm business incubator enterprise for new farmers, including the provision of access to land, infrastructure and equipment

A business consulting service for more established farmers

Vermont’s first multi-farm community-supported agriculture enterprise

A local food education program for young people

A conservation nursery, growing natives for riparian restoration programs