Community Supported Agriculture - Does it work?
If you ever wanted evidence that community food systems are riding the wave of the future, you need look no further than Food Connect. Brisbane's premier community food system, Food Connect now boasts around 75 core and around 30 peripheral farmers supplying fresh, regionally-grown food to something like 1000 city subscribers.
Bringing the good news to those at the first of the TransitionSydney Cafe Conversations at Glebe's Fair Trade Cafe was Robert Pekin, coordinator of the ambitious social enterprise. He reported that, despite the recession, trading has increased by 86 percent this past year, yielding something like $50,000 turnover a week. Story by Russ Grayson follows...
The 2008 Oil Peak - not as we expected it to be
In the past week I have attended two events featuring Professor Peter Newman, speaking on the topic of sustainable cities. He is currently Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University in WA, and a board member of Infrastructure Australia, the body recently formed to oversee the infrastructire elements of the Australian government's economic stimulus package. He has written 8 books and over 200 journal articles on issues of urban sustainability, city planning and transport issues. His latest book "Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change" was co-authored with professor Tim Beatley, Professor of Sustainable Communities atThe University of Virginia in USA.
For survivalists the end is always nigh
Tim's brief article gives some insight into the 'survivalst' approach to concerns surrounding peak oil, climate change and economic meltdown. The Transition movement is different in its approach as noted by our own Russ Grayson. While Elliot associates Permaculture and the Transition movement with survivalism, we must point out that both of these focus on proactive moves to build sustainability and resilience for whole communities and in that they are very different in attitude and action from survivalism as we know it. Read the article here
Eco-suburb plan unveiled for city
Now we're talking! Time for Sydney and the NSW Government to start thinking and doing along these lines. Here's the article in The Age.
Accelerating into disaster – when banks manage the food crisis
The latest conference in Madrid on solving the food crisis was as usual dominated by banks and global agrochemical interests and produced more of the same food imperialism that has produced the crisis in the first place. Read the declaration of the coalition of small peasant-farmer organisations presented to that conference in the minimal time they were allocated to address the conference.
Backyard Farming - a new form of urban agriculture?
Got a backyard? Like to grow your own but haven't the time? Who ya gonna call? - A backyard Farmer! Already taking on in some parts of the US, paying someone to farm your backyard for you might just be a part of the urban sustainability solution. Full article.