How can fragmented peri-urban agricultural systems which currently adversely influence the health of catchments and receiving waters be reconfigured to achieve integrated social, economic and environmental outcomes in coastal catchments?

In 2006, 54% of midscale producers, natural resource managers and scientists participating in a best management practice forum thought there was less than 15% likelihood that adopting a ‘business as usual’ approach would achieve sustainable co-existence between agricultural, the community and downstream fisheries in the region

However, 83% of those participants considered that there was a greater than 60% chance of achieving a sustainable future for farmers and fisherman in a scenario involving an integrated area-wide sustainable agriculture extension program was delivered in conjunction with incentives for the adoption of the best management practices that all those present had agreed to at the forum.

“ It is not the strongest species that

survive, nor the most intelligent,

but the ones most responsive to

change. ” Charles Darwin

Seventy-three percent of the mid-scale farming enterprises interviewed in 2010 stated that they feared farming, as it

stood in the region, did not have a viable future.

Systems Reconfig

Key Message

To reconfigure peri-urban landscapes, collaborative initiatives between industry, local councils and regional government must deliberately rearrange the social, economic and ecological connectivity of the agricultural system to adapt to new circumstances, perform new tasks, and recover from damage.

New Rural Development

• A new rural development paradigm has emerged globally over the last decade,

• Connecting practices of landscape management, agri-tourism, organic and sustainable farming, and value chain analysis and management.

• Questions remain as to the extent to which peri-urban agri-food systems will be self-reconfiguring and to what extent government intervention is required to

effectively facilitate the transition.

• Lifestyle driven population change;

• increasing consumer demand for local, healthy and sustainable food

• Lerner and Eaken (2011) suggest there is increasing evidence that the growing middle-class demand for healthy, more sustainable foods can potentially reverse the trend of dwindling agricultural production in peri-urban areas of the developed world.

Sunshine Coast Food Futures • A series of projects spanned the agri-food value-chain

• Featured a high level of collaboration with industry, local government, university and other researchers.

• Led by the Queensland Government as part of a pilot ‘networked government’ service delivery model

• Involved research, planning, extension and business development activities as part of ongoing sustainable agriculture extension networks and regional economic development programs.

Participatory Action Research • Participatory rapid rural appraisal

• Scenario analysis involving 102 primary producers and peri-urban residents;

• Semi-structured interviews with 34 traditional mid-scale farmers;

• Face to face questionnaire surveys delivered to 180 micro to small primary producers and food artisans, and food manufacturers

• Internet Surveys of 100 Restaurateurs & Chefs, and 853 Local Food Consumers

A collaborative service delivery model that involved: • the state government allocating business development

officers and agricultural extension officers to support farmers and food artisans;

• contracting specialist presenters to lead targeted training workshops, followed by one-on-one mentoring;

• local government program support to create and market a collective regional brand (Seasons of the Sun).

• Research projects were embedded within service delivery projects and distributed between academics, local food social enterprises and local food champions with results rapidly communicated to stakeholders.

Fragmentation is Advanced

Lots >0.2 and < =20ha

Lots >100 ha

Gross Output by Primary and Resource

Industries SEQ 2001-2026 ($Millions)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026

$M

illio

n

Horticulture

Intensive animal

Cropping

Grazing

Other agriculture

Forestry, fishing, mining

Horticulture

Intensive Animal

48 Different Types of Produce

20 Classes of Artisanal Food

Products

• <$22.5K

31%

$50K - $99K

16%

$100K - $199K

13%

$200K - $349K

9%

>$1000K

2%$350K - $999K

6%

$22.5K - $49K

23%

Estimated Value of Agricultural Holdings

Source ABS (2008)

Sunshine Coast & Cooloola

Median Income

Changing Face of Supply Chains

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Central Wholesale

Markets

Direct to National

Retailer

Local Retailer or

Wholesaler

Direct to Public,

Farmgate or Market

Restuarants Direct Food Processor Export

Destination of Product

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

Sa

les

Mid-Scale Farm Survey Micro-Small Farm Surveys

Photo mosaic : Iris Bohnet CSIRO

Photo mosaic : Iris Bohnet CSIRO

Photo mosaic : Iris Bohnet CSIRO

Photo mosaic : Iris Bohnet CSIRO

Photo mosaic : Iris Bohnet CSIRO

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Increased

Production

from

Monoculture

and Cane

Mid-scale

Diversified Sub-

tropical

Agriculture,

Cooperative

Agriculture

Small

ScaleEnviro-

Friendly and

Organic

Systems

Controlled

Rural Lifestyle

Blocks with

Patches of

Agriculture

Residential

Development of

Caneland

Intensive Eco

tech

Scenario

No o

f Res

pond

ents

Most Preferred Future

EXPECTED FUTURE

Do Nothing More

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1. Increased production

from monoculture &

grazing

2. Mid scale diversified

sub tropical agriculture,

cooperative farming

3. Small scale enviro-

friendly & organic

systems

4. Controlled Rural

Lifestyle bocks with

patches of Agriculture

5. Residential

development of

caneland and similar

farmland

6. Intensive Eco-tech

Production in managed

landscapes

Scenario

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

Re

spo

nd

en

ts

Transitioning to a Sustainable Value Chain

OPPORTUNITY

Supply chains push products from upstream

Value chains’ products are pulled by consumers

Manufacturers &

Food Service

• Almost 60% of mid-scale farmers agreed they would explore their options for entering a local food supply chain if there was more support available to learn how to adapt their enterprise to profit from this transition.

Overwhelming interest (76%) in

exploring opportunities in the

local food value chain

70% were able to supply a local

distribution system

64% would increase production

to supply a local distribution

system

Micro-Small Primary Producers

CONSTRAINTS

• Inadequate Distribution Systems • Market Failure – duopolisation, incomplete market knowledge • Inadequate Branding and Marketing • Insufficient Production Knowledge, Training and Support • Inadequate price signals in the market for local sustainable food • A perception that changes in government priorities had led to a

significant reduction in government agricultural extension

Photo: C. Nickerson USDA 2009

0

5

10

15

20

25

A great influence Somewhat of an influence Of very little influence No influence

Influence that an efficient

local distribution system

would have on local

supply

Great

influence

No

influence

Support development of a web-based information

portal and distribution system for local food?

Barriers to Consumption

Both residents and tourists suggest the five most significant barriers to consumption of local food were :

• its lack of promotion;

• lack of information on where to find it;

• it is not clearly branded as local;

• it is not readily available; and

• it is not well labelled.

Integrated Area-Wide Extension

In 5 years after 2006 forum 80% of producers in the pilot area had substantially adopted the BMP recommended

Peri-Urban Service Delivery • The networked government

delivery model received strong support from industry,

• One food enterprise owner suggested “I have been involved in a long list of government private sector collaborations – this one is by far the most productive, useful and meaningful.”

Conclusion

Without further investment in place-based collaborative research, planning, capacity building and economic development the local food movement in these peri-urban areas is likely to continue to occupy only a narrow ‘alternative’ cultural and economic space.