How to design sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities for a growing population is a challenge faced across the world. There is less agricultural land available and people in urban centres are disassociated from food production. How can communities be designed to increase food security, minimise waste, build knowledge and skills, drive employment and enhance the natural environment? How can communities actively participate in the food economy of their region?
Yarrabilba in South East Queensland will become Australia’s first ‘sustainable food city’ as part of this Food Agility project led by QUT and Lendlease. The project aims to develop a local food community based on circular economy principles. This means that the community’s food and green waste is collected and converted into compost. The compost can be used to support community growing activities and small-scale food enterprises, putting seasonal, local food into the heart of communities.
The first stage of the three year project involves the development of a prototype community composting system that tracks compost contributions from businesses and residents and offers rewards in the form of 'green credits' that can be exchanged for local goods. Stage two involves establishing small-scale food production enterprises where goods and services can be exchanged via Smartphone technology. These new technologies and research outcomes will be embedded into Lendlease's development plans, which will see the population of Yarrabilba grow to 45,000 by 2041.
Contact Food Agility.
Messner, R., Richards, C. and Johnson, H., 2020. The “Prevention Paradox”: food waste prevention and the quandary of systemic surplus production. Agriculture and Human Values, pp.1-13, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-10014-7
