Sustainable Food
- Eat organic – Grow Organic
- Growing Healthy Food at Home
- Backyard Chook Keeping
- Community Gardens
- Farmers Markets
- Sustainable Seafood
- Factsheets & 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.
Don't worry! Meat and dairy can be part of a healthy, sustainable diet and we're not trying to stop you enjoying the foods you love. The message is not to overdo it, avoid highly processed fast foods where possible, and look for opportunities to support local, sustainably farmed products.
Of course, it's important to eat a well-balanced diet with a wide variety of foods. The National Health and Medical Research Council have produced simple dietary guidelines for adults which you can download at
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
- don’t over-consume 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.
Backyard Chook Keeping
As well as being wonderful pets, keeping chickens in your backyard is a great way to:
- Help manage pests in an organic garden
- Produce healthy, nutritious food at your backdoor
- Recycle your food scraps
- Support ethical food production by having happy, healthy chooks
- Help maintain the genetic diversity of chooks. Traditional breeds can be chosen for characteristics of egg laying, meat, friendliness or even digging up the garden.
- Reconnect people and children to the source of their foods (yes, eggs come from chickens!)
It’s important to note local councils have different regulations about keeping chickens in your backyard. In Wollongong and Shellharbour Council areas, roosters are not allowed to be kept in residential areas. In addition, in Shellharbour Council, the number of chickens allowed in backyards in residential areas is restricted to less than 10 hens. There is no restrictions on the number of hens that can be kept in Wollongong or Kiama Council areas.
Regulations about poultry houses are set out in the Local Government General Regulation 2005 Schedule 2, and include:
- A poultry house must be at a least 4.5 metres from a dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food.
- The floors of poultry houses must be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt underneath the roosts or perches. However, this subclause does not apply to poultry houses: (a) that are not within 15.2 metres of a dwelling, public hall or school, or (b) that are situated on clean sand.
In Shellharbour Council area, the coop must be less than 15 square metres and no more than 900mm from fence boundary. Information on Wollongong Council guidelines and Kiama Council guidelines can be found in the following fact sheets: - Wollongong City Council Guidelines for Keeping Chickens [57kB]
- Kiama Councils Keeping Chooks fact sheet [PDF 111kb]
There are many different kinds of chickens, and the right chook for you depends on how much space you have for them, and what characteristics you are looking for (whether that be a good egg layer, or an easy to handle chook that’s good with kids).
Like all animals, chickens need proper care, so be sure to do some research into appropriate housing, feeding and care before bringing some chooks home. Some helpful resources are:
Books (remember to also check your local library!)
- Backyard Poultry Naturally by Alanna Moore
- Jackie French’s Chook Book
- Chook Wisdom by Earth Garden
Websites
- www.backyardpoultry.com
- www.daptopoultryclub.com (local poultry club, monthly meetings)
- www.rarepoultry.net
- www.rbta.org (Rare Breeds Trust of Australia)
- www.rentachook.com.au – Dave Ingham, based in Ryde, Sydney, can deliver flat packed coops to the Illawarra, as well as organic chook feed.
Documentaries
Rare Chicken Rescue - www.rarechooks.com.au (Blue Hills Poultry Stud)
Community Gardens
Community gardens are popping up all over the country as people increasingly value their role in sustainable living and healthy communities. There are a number of community gardens in the Illawarra, with plans to establish new gardens in Kiama and Shellharbour.
A great way to learn more about community gardens is to visit and take part in regular working bees at existing sites. For example, The Garden at the North Wollongong PCYC has monthly working bees, and a monthly fruit and veg swap.
- Visit http://thegardennorthgong.blogspot.com/ for more information.
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.
Dapto Community Farm is a certified organic site renting plots to commercial and community gardeners. For more information call 4227 1057 or see this flier [PDF 215kB].
The Illawarra Councils have received support from the NSW Environmental Trust for a new three year project called the Illawarra Biodiversity and Local Food Strategy for Climate Change. This project will explore options for locally produced food, support school and community gardens, encourage people to make more sustainable food choices through education and training, as we prepare for the decline in availability of cheap fossil fuels. For more information, call 4227 7111.
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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Please note Sustainable Illawarra does not manage any of these markets, we only promote them. Some markets may close over public holidays and holiday periods. A list of contact details for market enquiries can be found in the local magazine ‘South Coast Times’ – see http://sclt.realviewtechnologies.com/
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
Factsheets & Downloads
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
Sydney Food Fairness Alliance
http://www.sydneyfoodfairness.org.au
Food Fairness Illawarra
http://healthycitiesill.org.au/foodfairness.htm
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. www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/community/lowcostandfreemealdirectory.asp