Bendigo council to consider food system strategy at June meeting

Access to safe, affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and drinks.

Reducing and diverting food waste from landfill.

All goals of a food system strategy for Greater Bendigo.

The city bears the strains of two decades of worsening food insecurity - pressures the proposed strategy says are reflected in the prevalence of diet-related disease in Greater Bendigo.

SCHOOLS, kindergartens and community gardens could become a new frontier for improving Bendigo's food system.

Councillors will consider a 10-year food system strategy for Greater Bendigo when they meet on Wednesday night.

The 54-page document outlines four objectives to developing a healthy, equitable and sustainable food system.

Supporting schools and early learning centres to implement programs that provide opportunities for children to learn to grow and use fresh produce to make healthy food is part of the proposed plan.

The strategy also recognises a need to support community gardens.

It comes after the latest Active Living Census data highlighted food insecurity as one of the Loddon Campaspe region's biggest health and wellbeing challenges.

One in 10 households in the region did not have enough food, rising to one in five households in parts of Greater Bendigo.

All six of the local government areas in the Loddon Campaspe region had higher rates of food insecurity than the Victorian average back when responses were rolling in, roughly a year ago.

Consultation on a food system strategy for Greater Bendigo to 2030 was happening about the same time.

"More food grown locally" was one of the changes residents said they wanted to see in the local food system.

Another common response was for more local produce to be used locally.

People wanted to strengthen their connections with those who farmed and produced their food, as well as organisations that helped build skills in preparing fresh produce.

"Less unhealthy fast food and more healthy options," was among the changes they craved most.

They identified a need for funding support for schools establish kitchen garden programs, such as Stephanie Alexander's.

Other initiatives they said would help make it easier to grow and produce food included education and access to materials.

Those involved in shaping the food system strategy thought having a role in growing and producing food would help residents eat more healthy, fresh food.

Making healthy food cheaper than unhealthy food and increasing healthy snack and takeaway options were other ideas.

Story continues below strategy summary

Efforts are already underway to address some of the issues residents highlighted when providing feedback for a food system strategy, and to improve healthy eating and food security in some of the Bendigo's most vulnerable suburbs.

The City of Greater Bendigo has been working with Bendigo Foodshare, the Long Gully Community Centre, St Matthew's Church, Bendigo Violet Street Primary School and Grow, Cook, Share to strengthen some of their efforts in Long Gully.

Healthy Heart of Victoria coordinator Alicia O'Brien said the organisations and initiatives were already doing amazing things.

"We are building on their great work and passion," she said.

Bendigo Violet Street Primary School has started growing seedlings, which will be distributed with the help of St Matthew's Church and the Long Gully Community Centre.

"The Grow, Cook, Share initiative has now concluded and they would have liked to establish a cooking club in Long Gully," Ms O'Brien said.

"St Matthew's has a cooking club and would like to expand it.

"Long Gully Community Centre is going to work with St Matthew's to expand the cooking club and they will use the Grow, Cook, Share cooking manual.

"Bendigo Foodshare is going to help supply food for the cooking club."

The Long Gully Community Centre has started sharing healthy recipes and information on going food in their weekly newsletter.

"Foodshare will also advise them of what food is being supplied to emergency relief providers so the recipes include the items going out in food parcels," Ms O'Brien said.

"For those who do not have the internet to access the e-newsletters, Long Gully Community Centre is going to increase the number of printed newsletters available for the community."

Efforts were being made to connect members of the Karen community in Long Gully with the community garden in Derwent Drive.

A project officer will be working with Long Gully schools to establish or strengthen school kitchen garden programs.

"The support we provide will be based on the individual school's needs," Ms O'Brien said.

"School kitchen garden programs not only build skills and capacity of students but engage families and the broader community in growing and cooking healthy food, so this in an important piece of the puzzle."

She said Long Gully was selected as a focus area partly on community need.

Almost 20 per cent of households in Long Gully, West Bendigo and Ironbark ran out of food in the 12 months prior to returning their Active Living Census surveys. Surrounding suburbs also had high rates of food insecurity.

"We also selected Long Gully as there are so many good things already happening that we can support and build upon," Ms O'Brien said.

Strengths included community passion and social capital.