Improving Food Security and Community Resilience in the Northern Rivers.

This project, funded by the Northern Rivers Community Foundation, aims to create a shared vision and pathways towards food security and resilience by bringing together the community, government and food system actors in the Northern Rivers.

Implemented in partnership with Wild Community, this project will undertake a scoping study of the food system in two LGAs Byron and Lismore Shires as a representative sample of the Northern Rivers. Through collection and analysis of data, 25 semi-structured interviews and references to best practices internationally, the project will bring together food system actors, the community and government to develop a vision to strengthen the regional food system to improve food security and access to nutritious food.

The outcomes of this project are:

1. Improved understanding of the existing food system (actors, governance & institutions, existing food security plans / policies / programs, infrastructures, processes

2. A Discussion Paper on the key challenges, needs and opportunities to strengthen the food system and recommendations to key implementable projects (e.g. on food literacy, infrastructure/capacity for local regenerative food production and food processing, protection and expansion of agricultural land, distribution/access to affordable healthy food products for all)

3. Review of food governance in Northern Rivers

4. An operational Resilient Byron Food Security Working Group connecting community, government and food actors in the Northern Rivers and provides leadership on food security issues

5. A community of practice

6. Increased awareness within the community around food and nutrition security.