Local Harvest

Project outline

There is a growing need for easy-to-use information for sourcing food locally.

Local Harvest will be a website resource focusing on food relocalisation and the promotion of alternatives for food production in an urban setting.

• This includes a national directory for finding food co-ops, food swap meets, community gardens, farmers markets, box systems, 'pick you own' farms, farm-gate products, organic retailers, seed saver networks, free-range meats, and more. Users can find alternative local food sources based on their own locality by placing in a postcode.
• A second component will be the promotion and exploration of do-it-yourself alternatives for food production and meeting essential needs, including resources for growing your own food, making your own produce, storing and preserving, low energy living.

We will largely be drawing from the many existing resources, and collating them into one place. This idea is based on the one existing for the USA found at www.localharvest.org.

An additional component to the project is the Local Harvest Challenge - a week where people take up the challenge of reducing their 'degrees of separation' from their food. The idea being for people to learn more about the source of their food (increase transparency) and discover resources for eating locally in their area. It is based on our Household Action Challenge of the past.

We will launch the project in February 2012.

 

We're raising funds for this project. You can contribute at Pozible! Check it out.

 

Core objectives of the project are to help people move away from dependence on the supermarket and industrial food system, and support local producers, reduce transport distance and associated energy and carbon impact, and build up connections between urban consumers and rural producers.

The target audience is initially city dwellers who are looking to minimise their impact regarding food choices. Ultimately however, it will be a useful resource for everyone who eats and is concerned about making a difference with their everyday purchasing choices.

Additional components such as a forum and blog by producers and/ or users may be included to enhance the ‘community’ and resource sharing aspect. A companion to the website resource will be an iPhone and smart-phone app using the same data.

Local Harvest will be comprehensive and user-friendly, and an effective tool in encouraging behaviour change in food choices.

The context

There is a real need for this project.

The work of the Ethical Consumer Group over the past 7 years have provided resources for better choices within the supermarket and introduced the many issues connected with our food and everyday consumerables. Many people have chosen to take up the challenge of more closely aligning their purchases with their values. However the present global system of food production reliant on long distance transportation, chemicals in production and storage means that the real answers are beyond the supermarket and industrial food system.

We have found people are seeking a resource to allow them to choose better alternatives that cut out the middle men and reconnect people with the producers of their food. By relocalising our food sources, we not only reduce food miles, but in many cases there is a reduction in packaging waste, and increased transparency in regards to the issues connected to our food (ie animal welfare, pesticide use).

Local Harvest will be key in helping people address issues of energy use, carbon impact, waste and efficiency hidden behind our food. Food choices make up 30% of the carbon footprint of an average household (ACF Consumption Atlas, 2007).

Social benefits include the linking of individuals with providers of food, as well as helping integrate the existing networks that will assist in people growing their own or being involved in the processes connected with meeting the essential food needs.

The need to fast-track change in regards to reducing the wider impacts of everyday living is apparent in our ‘consumer culture’. I am however mindful that change takes time and does not come easily without adequate information, resources and support.

Involvement

Let us know if you'd like to be involved in this project. Here's some ideas.

• be part of the organising team
• help with funding
• tidying up the content
• contributing content (resources you know of in your area)

September 2011

 

We're raising funds for this project. You can contribute at Pozible! Check it out.

 

 

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