Emma-Kate Rose is the program director of Food Connect Foundation, based in Queensland, Australia.
For 18 years, Food Connect operated as a social enterprise, directly connecting farmers/growers with consumers in Brisbane.
Essentially, farmers within 5 hours of Brisbane would grow and deliver their goods to a central warehouse/homestead in the suburbs, where it would be packed into pre-purchased boxes and delivered to 70 different pick-up locations around Brisbane, such as homes, churches, or schools.
The effects were remarkable, two of the standout ones being that the food miles averaged 140km compared to the national average of 1,200km, and that farmers were rewarded far more cents in the dollar than they would be had they sold at the supermarkets. The health, networking and community benefits were also substantial.
If you want to eat healthier food and be more connected with your farmers, and farmers more connected with consumers, then the way we buy and sell needs to change, and our thinking needs to shift.
This model is an excellent case study of what worked, how it worked, and where the challenges lay.
Food Connect Foundation:
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