Can we learn from the coast? The future of Canberra's food security is on the table

As the CEO of Regional Development Australia ACT and initiator of the Canberra Region Food Collaborative Executive, Michael Claessens is among those leading the charge to ensure the nation’s capital can keep enough food on the table.

He says future interruptions, caused by floods, bushfires, biosecurity risks and virus outbreaks, can “come out of the blue at any time”, and Canberra is not in a good position to cope with food shortages.

“What is needed is a local food buffer to smooth out those disruptions – an insurance policy against disease and disasters which climate and food experts consider will be more common over time,” Michael explained.

“Canberra is a modern city, where access to fresh food is mostly reliable, and I think people received quite a shock when the supply chains were cut off and there was a shortage of some products.”

He says there’s the potential for more food to be produced in the region, and there’s a lot that can be done by ordinary people, as well as businesses and government organisations to empower local producers to grow and process more food. Read more....