Local food systems governance through peer-to-peer networking and communities of practice

Abstract

Sustain: the Australian Food Network was established in January 2016 and has become one of the country’s leading healthy and sustainable food systems organisations. Since its inception, Sustain has focused on engagement with local governments to advocate for and facilitate policy change, based on the understanding that this level of government has a critical role to play in working with and alongside communities to achieve food system change. In March 2021 Sustain launched a Local Government Food Systems Networking Forum as a peer-to-peer community of practice for staff working in local governments that are members of Sustain. This Forum (which builds on an earlier local government community of practice facilitated in 2016-17) currently includes 15 local governments, the majority of which have food system-related strategies or policies, or are in the process of developing them. The Forum meets once every quarter and staff share their food systems-related work and initiatives, listen to updates from Sustain’s policy and advocacy work, and hear from an invited speaker on a topic of mutual interest, followed by facilitated discussion. This is a unique food systems forum in Australia and is valued by participating staff for many reasons. This presentation will reflect on the experience of establishing and facilitating this Forum and the benefits it provides to staff. We will also offer observations on future directions for the Forum and the broader implications that this model of community of practice has for collaborative food systems governance and advocacy.