General News
22 October, 2024
Support available to eat healthier
The Central Goldfields Food Network hopes to pave a more fruitful way for healthy and sustainable eating with the help of a new guideline report.
The Central Goldfields Food Systems Roadmap, adopted at last month’s council meeting, aims to assess the factors affecting local produce and provide “practical steps” to increase supply and nutrition education in the Central Goldfields.
According to the roadmap, community feedback from more than 230 community members and stakeholders formed “a shared vision” where everyone can access at least one healthy and affordable meal daily and strengthen social connections in our local food system.
The roadmap highlights key recommendations to improve “collaboration, coordination and advocacy” in the local outlook. They include:
Enhance local food systems, leadership and collaboration to help achieve community goals.
Encourage small-scale local food production to support a community-owned shared food enterprise.
Commence local food education programs around growing produce at home, nutrition and healthy eating for different community members.
Explore options to create a more healthy and diverse food market for residents to purchase local produce.
Build regional partnerships to help develop the local food system.
The Central Goldfields Food Network, consisting of local stakeholders, will be the leading forum to identify and prioritise roadmap recommendations.
Speaking at last month’s council meeting, Central Goldfields Shire councillor Grace La Vella said the plan hopes to promote healthy eating.
“It’s not up to us to tell people what to eat however it’s really great to be able to provide a map on how you can eat [healthier],” she said.
“This offers a bit of a roadmap as to how can we do it. How can our young and how can our older learn how to cook and provide for themselves.”
Funded through VicHealth Local Government Partnership, the roadmap was developed by Sustain — The Australian Food Network, with support from the Central Goldfields council and food network.
According to Central Goldfields Shire children and young people first project officer Gemma Simpson, the partnerships allow community passion to transfer into further local action.
“Sustain – The Australian Food Network has done a fantastic job pulling together so much feedback and data. Although there are still plenty of challenges to tackle, it’s been amazing hearing about all the work already happening,” she said.
“The roadmap outlines directions as to where we can go from here, but it’s clear that whatever happens next, we will get the best outcomes if we work together. There is no single person or organisation that can change the food system on their own.”