Fair Food Week 2015 - October 16-25

Post date: Sep 30, 2015 9:03:22 PM

Please contact the organisers if you have events you would like to add to Fair Food Week

Dear Fair Food Week supporters,

Thank you for your previous participation in Fair Food Week. We hope that you will again join the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) in promoting the wonderful work being done by fair food supporters all over Australia by conducting events and telling your stories!

Major themes for this year include healthy soils (with 2015 being the International Years of Soils), regenerative farming and community gardening. On the latter, please find attached a media release announcing the Australian City Farms and Community Garden Network's strong expression of support for Fair Food Week this year. It would be appreciated if you could share this great news with your networks.

More details to come. Meanwhile, we look forward to hearing about your activities. Please visit http://fairfoodweek.org.au and send details to me directly, or to event@fairfoodweek.org.au.

Many thanks,

Alana Mann,

on behalf of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Creating equitable, sustainable and resilient food systems for all Australians

W: australianfoodsovereigntyalliance.org

FAIR FOOD WEEK – IN YOUR BACKYARD THIS OCTOBER!

Food producers, eaters and communityCbased food organisations across Australia

will celebrate Fair Food Week this year from October 16 to 25, led by the Australian

Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA).

In 2015, the International Year of Soils, nationwide activities will have a strong focus

on healthy and regenerative agriculture in both rural and urban areas, with

community gardens playing a key role.

AFSA President Tammi Jonas announced this week that the Australian City Farms

and Community Garden Network would be contributing its support to Fair Food

Week 2015.

“Community gardeners are at the forefront of the connected food system – the Fair

Food system – that millions of Australians want and are embracing” said Tammi.

“Fair Food is fundamentally about people connecting with where their food comes

from. And one of the best ways of doing that is by growing or raising some of your

own food.”

Many community gardens and city farms have taken part in Fair Food Week for the

past two years with garden lunches, workshops, seed swaps and movie nights.

This year Australian City Farms Community Gardens Network (ACFCGN) President

Jane Mowbray is urging even more members to participate.

“Community gardeners and city farmers form a large part of the Fair Food

Movement across Australia. They enthusiastically choose to grow and eat fresh,

local fruit, vegetables and herbs and are keen to share their skills, and knowledge,

making many community gardens and city farms vital centres of community

education.”

For Jane and other members of the ACFCGN Fair Food Week is a welcome

opportunity to applaud those who are offering local, socially and environmentally

just alternatives to unhealthy food produced through industrial methods.

“Ethical farmers and the markets and businesses that supply and use their

sustainable products provide us all with more choice about the production of the

food we eat.”

Established in 2013, Fair Food Week provides an opportunity for local communities

in every state and territory to showcase how farmers, gardeners, chefs and

communityCbased food enterprises are working hard to ensure access to fresh, local

and affordable produce to all Australians.

Communities are encouraged to organise events according to local priorities. In

previous years events have ranged from slow cooking and underground restaurants

to free training in skills such as making sourdough bread and butchering.

AFSA President Tammi Jonas sees Fair Food Week 2015 as a “unique opportunity

for the food movement to come together, recognise and celebrate each other and

our many achievements”.

“And this year we look forward to working closely with the ACFCGN to make Fair

Food Week 2015 a particularly outstanding success” she adds.

INFORMATION/TO PROMOTE AN EVENT:

• fairfoodweek.org.au E: event@fairfoodweek.org.au

• Alana Mann, AFSA Communications E: alana.mann@sydney.edu.au