Engaging community in food partnerships

Key points

• Community-led networks and partnerships play a leading role in building more resilient food systems
• In the Latrobe Valley and Loddon Campaspe regions of Victoria, food partnerships have been established to drive action toward food system resilience
• Participatory governance is a core feature of food systems that are resilient to shocks and stresses

Flourish Regional Food System Taskforce

The Loddon Campaspe Regional Food System Framework, Flourish, was released in 2024. It provides strategic guidance for local government and key stakeholders across the Loddon Campaspe region to progress a healthy, equitable and sustainable regional food system.

The framework covers six municipalities across central Victoria, comprising Greater Bendigo, Campaspe Shire, Central Goldfields Shire, Loddon Shire, Macedon Ranges Shire and Mount Alexander Shire. It envisions a ‘vibrant and sustainable regional food system that puts community and Country at its heart to promote health, equity, and resilience for all’ [1].

Community members from across the Loddon Campaspe region were invited to submit expressions of interest to join the Flourish Governance Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to build regional alignment of food systems decisions and actions with the framework [2].

Food For All Latrobe Valley Coalition

The Food For All Latrobe Valley (FFALV) coalition was established in 2018 to increase access to fresh, nutritious food in the region in response to rising levels of food insecurity. The coalition is jointly funded by Latrobe Community Health Service and Latrobe Health Assembly and is an initiative of the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone. It consists of over 100 member organisations, including community groups, neighbourhood houses, food retailers and producers, emergency relief agencies, and community members [3].

The Latrobe Food Systems Leadership Group (LFSLG) was formed in 2023 comprising Latrobe Community Health Service, Latrobe Health Assembly, Latrobe City Council, Gippsland Region Public Health Unit, Department of Family, Fairness and Housing and two community representatives from FFALV action group. This group’s role is to provide leadership and oversight in the planning, coordination, implementation of FFALV actions and action group meetings, and to lead advocacy in facilitating change and undertaking high level food systems strategic thinking.

The coalition has a shared vision of ‘working together to provide sustainable access and availability to fresh, nutritious food for all members of our community’. It has reached approximately 90% of the local population through the delivery of 435 food interventions. These have included support for community gardens, healthier food environments in community settings, food share and seed saving initiatives and social marketing to promote healthy and sustainable foods [4].

In late 2024, FFALV hosted a series of Systems Mapping Workshops with community and key food systems actors to map contributing factors that could support the local food system to be healthier and more sustainable [5].

Food networks, partnerships and coalitions enable people, organisations, and communities to take collaborative action for more resilient, equitable, healthy and sustainable food systems.