Discussions between Edith Cowan University researchers and focus groups in rural and regional Western Australia have highlighted the need for local governments to play a bigger role in improving access to fresh, healthy food.

In investigating the proposed impact and anticipated barriers of establishing Food Action Groups across rural, regional and remote WA, Dr Stephanie Godrich from Edith Cowan University’s Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute hosted 19 focus groups across 11 towns and eight regions in the state.

“Food Action Groups are collaboratives that bring together interest holders working across the food supply chain to identify local food issues and co-create policy or programmatic solutions, often with the aim of achieving sustainable food systems,” she said.

Previous research has shown that Food Action Groups could have a positive impact on multiple food system domains. However barriers such as limited capacity and local buy-in, a lack of funding, government rules and regulations, and production, processing and distribution challenges can impede the effectiveness of such groups.

Dr Godrich noted that the focus groups had highlighted the need for government advocacy to support local commercial food production, processing, and sales in order to retain food within its region of origin.

“Research shows Australian local governments have practical, proven options to improve access to fresh, healthy food, from allowing food to be grown on public land and protecting food-producing areas through planning, to supporting farm-gate sales and local markets,” she said.

“While many of these approaches have been used in cities, they can be just as effective in regional, rural and remote communities, helping increase both access to and the viability of locally grown produce.”

Dr Godrich noted that further consultations have now taken place with two proposed pilot Food Action Group sites, Narrogin and the Central Great Southern communities of Katanning, Kojonup, Broomehill-Tambellup, and Gnowangerup. Funding is being sought to implement these two first Food Action Groups, with the hope that subsequent models would be established across other regional, rural, and remote WA towns in coming years.