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The regeneration of Australia’s food and farming systems
in
Fb
The regeneration of Australia’s food and farming systems
A person holding a basket of fresh produce smiling at another person who is dressed as if they work in hospitality. They are outside and there is a tree in the background.
A smiling person with a basket of fresh produce standing outside.
A person holding a basket of fresh produce smiling at another person who is dressed as if they work in hospitality. They are outside and there is a tree in the background.
A smiling person with a basket of fresh produce standing outside.
05 July 2023
05 July 2023

Sustainable Food Procurement Tasmania

Grant Amount: $41,000

Region: National

Delivered by: Leah Galvin Consulting

Year funded: 2023

Project status: In progress

The Challenge

Food procurement has immense potential to drive positive transformation for Australian regenerative food and farming, however, it remains largely untapped due to numerous barriers and logistical challenges. Institutional food buying from multiple smaller-scale local farmers is hampered by issues such as fragmented supply chains, inconsistent availability, and limited infrastructure for distribution. Additionally, bureaucratic hurdles and financial constraints often discourage institutions from prioritising local and sustainable sourcing.

The Innovation

Leah Galvin is a public health nutritionist with a long-term interest in making regional food systems more sustainable and resilient. Leah completed a Churchill Fellowship in 2022 investigating models and approaches to sustainable food procurement by institutions that can be adapted for Australia.

Sustainable Table is supporting Leah to research how institutions (hospitals, aged care, meals on wheels, prisons, schools, and universities, for example) that spend public money to procure food can at the same time create public good through their spending. Our communities increasingly expect this of our governments. This project will use and adapt the international experience to explore food system transformation through institutional procurement of sustainable food.

The project will deliver outcomes and impact by:

  • Quantifying the opportunity of sustainable food procurement in Tasmania by mapping current practice and policy.
  • Working with key cross-sector advisors to strengthen networks, provide guidance as needed and actively advocate for the project outcomes by championing sustainable food procurement.
  • Engaging across government departments beyond public health (who currently provide the Tasmanian leadership) and with sector leaders.
  • Partnering with allies and institutions to deliver some quick demonstrations and case studies of the potential and impact of collaboration that facilitates change in their procurement practices.
  • Collaborating with allies to influence the government policymaking and program investment for farm to institution approaches in Tasmania and Australia.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

Leah has completed a Churchill Fellowship into institutional food procurement models which has given her an evidence based approach. She has identified standout models and has built a resource of an international community sitting behind her as she returns to activate institutional procurement in Tasmania. This project has the ability to be replicated across Australia and the impact could be significant for regenerative food and farming.