Sustainable Food
- Eat organic – Grow Organic
- Growing Healthy Food at Home
- Community Gardens
- Farmers Markets
- Sustainable Seafood
- Downloads
- Links
Did you know that food makes up a massive proportion of our ecological footprint? Almost 60%!
Globally, the trend towards large scale industrial agriculture has had a very negative impact on local ecology and communities. Large areas of the Amazon are being cleared to grow grain, to feed cattle, to turn into hamburgers. A bewildering variety of chocolate biscuits are available at the supermarket, whilst literally thousands of traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables and heritage farm breeds of animals are quietly becoming extinct.
The figures are staggering…for example, it takes about 2000 litres of water to make one hamburger! Beef has a high ecological footprint because of the large areas of land cleared for grazing. Eating one less serve of beef per week would save 300kg of greenhouse pollution over a year.
Similarly, dairy farming requires large amounts of water to produce the pasture required by the cattle and to manufacture and recycle packaging of dairy products. Eating 2 cups less milk per week would save the equivalent of 13 000 litres of water or 250 kg of greenhouse pollution over a year.
At the same time, Australians are spending millions of dollars every year on food that is never eaten, and ends up in our landfills.
The good news is that one of the simplest, most rewarding ways to start reversing these trends is to change the way we eat.
- choose sustainable, locally grown, organic foods
- minimise food wastage – shop with a list, and learn to compost or worm farm
- eat less conventionally grown meat and dairy products
- minimise food processing and packaging
- choose only sustainable seafood
Eat organic – Grow Organic
Nowadays, more and more evidence is emerging of the effect that chemicals in our food have on our health including the rise in asthma, eczema and allergies. Cancer patients are also advised by doctors to eat organic food. Children are particularly susceptible to additives in food, as all the safety levels of chemicals in food are set at an adult level. It is what hasn't been added to organic food that makes it good for you. And importantly, certified organic food cannot be genetically modified.
Look for ‘certified organic’ written on food labels and packaging at the Supermarket. The word ‘organic’ on its own can mean a number of different things and does not necessarily mean that a food product has been made organically.
The Certification logos to look out for are:
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Biological Farmers of Australia |
NAASA |
Biodynamic Logo |
Growing Healthy Food at Home
Our backyards can provide us with herbs, fruit and vegetables without us having to break our backs or commit our Sundays. Once it is up and running, about an hour a week is all that’s needed. What could be more convenient than being able to pick your green groceries from your own backyard? It’s also cheaper, healthier, and much, much better for the planet. And, you can swap your surplus food crops with neighbours and friends, so it’s good for our community all round.
Sustainable garden designs that can enhance the productivity of our suburban back yards include:
Herb Spiral
Build yourself a herb spiral near the kitchen door and plant it out with your favourite herbs including rosemary, basil, coriander, sage, parsley and mint. Add some marigolds for colour and pest control. Place a stepping stone on the outer layer of the spiral to help you access the inner herbs.
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Key Hole BedRaised key-hole bed, densely planted with companion plants: marigolds are inter-planted with basil and nasturtiums. |
Companion planting
Companion planting creates a diversity of species within the garden. It involves carefully arranging plants so that they assist with each others growth, by reducing pest numbers and creating favourable growing conditions.
Layers of the GardenLayering is a way of constructing our own version of a forest and helps to maximise the productivity of a garden system. |
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Community Gardens
All suburbs need community gardens! They’re popping up everywhere as people increasingly value their role in sustainable living and healthy communities.
Locally, there is a fantastic community garden at the North Wollongong PCYC – see http://nswcommunities.org.au/thegarden.html for more information.
A community garden is also in the process of being established at Helensburgh, and plans are afoot for new gardens in Kiama and Shellharbour.
Cringila Park Community Garden has recently won awards from Keep Australia Beautiful and the Local Government and Shires Association in recognition of its contribution to sustainability and multicultural health. Gardeners meet every Thursday.
For more inspiration see:
- www.communitygarden.org.au
- www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au
- www.ceres.org.au
- www.cultivatingcommunity.org.au
Community Gardens Start-Up Guide [PDF 4.91Mb]
Farmers Markets
Support local produce and have a great time doing it at one of the Illawarra’s wonderful local markets.
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Know of another market for this list? Contact us
Sustainable Seafood
75% of the world’s fisheries are overfished. Do your part to ensure the health of the world’s oceans by following these simple steps:
- Avoid species like flake, orange roughy, Southern Bluefin Tuna and other long-lived species
- Avoid farmed prawns or shrimp
- Catch only what you need, and eat what you catch
Find out more by visiting the
Australian Marine Conservation Society
www.amcs.org.au
Download
Understanding Food Miles [PDF 1.78Mb]
Understanding Food Insecurity [PDF 1.85Mb]
Options for an Alternative Food System [PDF 2.1Mb]
What are Community Gardens? [PDF 1.6Mb]
People Gather Round Food [PDF 758kb]
Wasteful Consumption in Australia [PDF 185kb]
Links & Downloads
Organics Directory
www.theorganicsdirectory.com.au
Australian Certified Organic
www.australianorganic.com.au
Organic Growers of Australia
www.organicgrowers.org.au
Biological Farmers of Australia
www.bfa.com.au
Biodynamic Agriculture Australia
www.biodynamics.net.au
The Biodynamic Research Institute
www.demeter.org.au
Organic Gardener Magazine
Published by the ABC, Organic Gardener Magazine (www.abc.net.au/gardening/features/organic_gardener.htm) is essential reading for all keen gardeners. Even if you’ve never picked up a trowel in your life, this magazine will inspire you to have a go at growing something beautiful, delicious – or both!
Consumption Atlas
*The University of Sydney’s Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis has applied science to analysing Australia’s consumption habits. For more information on the underlying environmental impacts of consumption, check out the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Consumption Atlas
Story of Stuff
www.storyofstuff.com/index.html
Wombat
www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml
The Meatrix
www.themeatrix.com
What the World Eats
What the World Eats. View PDF here [PDF 5.7Mb]
Seed Savers Network
www.seedsavers.net
Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network
Find out about Community Gardens all over Australia
http://www.communitygarden.org.au
Australian Marine Conservation Society
Publish a Sustainable Seafood Guide and run campaigns to protect our oceans and fishstocks
http://www.amcs.org.au/default2.asp?active_page_id=137
100 Mile Diet
‘Local eating for Global Change’. Check out stories of people who are bringing the paddock as close as possible to their plates…
http://100milediet.org/
Australian Farmers Market Association
Find a market where you can talk to the growers anywhere in Australia
http://www.farmersmarkets.org.au/
Low Cost and Free Meals Directory
This directory contains the contact details of services, organisations and clubs that are providing free or low cost meals. The services, organisations and clubs listed in this directory are all located in the Wollongong Local Government area. (List coming soon)