The Australian Food Network
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Policy Work & Consultancy

Sustain has led a range of tailored consultancy services that embrace overall analysis and mapping of local and regional food systems as well as in-depth studies of specific interventions. These include:

  • Food systems mapping - working with organisations and community members to build a shared understanding of a local and regional food system and its different components and key stakeholders, expressed in a visual form.
  • Food system assessments - desktop and interview-based research with key stakeholders to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of a local or regional food system, with a focus on making practical recommendations for key actions to enhance its sustainability, resilience and equity.
  • Food system surveys - comprehensive needs assessment and situational analysis surveys crafted for the priority focus areas of the client, targeting specific actors in the local food system (e.g. artisanal producers) or community members (e.g. backyard gardeners).
  • Food system strategy and policy advice and development - these services range from the analysis and review of existing policies and strategies to the design and implementation of a participatory and inclusive process for the development of a new food system strategy.
  • Food hub scoping & feasibility studies, and food hub business case development - these services commence with the assessment of community, institutional and business needs and interest in the development of a food hub to the development of models and options for food hub establishment, to feasibility analysis including economic and social impact modelling, to the full preparation of food hub business cases for funding partners and investors.

We offer expertise in the following areas:

  • Community engagement in food systems and urban agriculture
  • Participatory workshop design and facilitation
  • Food systems mapping and analysis
  • Participatory food policy and strategy design
  • Food Hub scoping, feasibility and business planning

Learn more about some of our previous consultancy work below or on our Projects page.