Through the work undertaken in the development of the Huon Valley Food Hub Business and Strategic Plan, the distinction was made between matters that could be responded to through grassroots, community action as opposed to the more systemic and complex challenges facing the system more broadly. This acknowledgement led to an identified need to consider these more intrinsic and challenging issues through the formation of a Food Resilience Strategy.

The Huon Valley Food Resilience Strategy aims to help improve coordination and collaboration among different sectors and levels of government where matters relate to the growth and production of food. The Strategy is designed to support advocacy and guide the growth of a vibrant and connected food system. It provides a framework for opportunities and proposes criteria for decision thinking and making. We acknowledge and provide thanks to the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund for their support in making this project possible.

With endorsement given at Council’s ordinary meeting held in June 2023, a 12-month action plan was developed which outlines how as a region, we can grow the capacity for resilience in the Huon Valley food system. It acknowledges the roll that the Huon Valley Food Hub Business and Strategic Plan (through its implementation) will play to delivering key outcomes in this regard. Equally, it identifies the need to undertake further policy and regulatory reviews with specific interest in the agricultural sector, and to advocate on behalf of the local system through the formation of a food coalition.

A series of short case study videos were produced to help share some of the examples for how our community can work to leverage our strengths to address shortfalls and gaps within the food system. A special thank you to Mountain Ash Insights, Freestate Studios, Scrubby Hill Farm, Cygnet Seed Library and South East Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC) for their support through these videos and the project overall.

A copy of the Huon Valley Food Resilience Strategy is available here.