One of the most successful community driven Farmers Markets in Australia is based right here in this pristine part of the world. Headed up by founder Shane Stanley who says economic innovations are pushing all of us to look local, re-localise and boost food production.

 “This is all about making the Sunshine Coast Australia’s first food-independent region,’’ Mr Stanley said.

“I question why should food grown on the Sunshine Coast need to be trucked to the Brisbane market 150 km’s away, purchased and trucked back here to be sold at inflated prices. New thought around this absurdity is about creating a more sustainable local food economy AND reducing the Carbon Footprint.

Shane Stanley is responding to growing concern about global hikes in food prices, the effects of large supermarket chain monopolies and the push for a central regional food market.

“I personally want to see a central food market established here so farmers can sell their product directly to retailers and consumers. This will go a long way towards cutting out food transport costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with getting food to the table.’’

Shane is part of innovative thought meetings charting the barriers to, and a course towards, rebuilding and boosting regional food production.

At a recent workshop held at the University of Sunshine Coast participants were told at present Australia's food economy is dominated by the two supermarket chains – Woolworths and Coles. Their centralised buying and pricing policies have driven down the returns to small-scale farmers and effectively destroyed the local food production and marketing capability that existed in most areas until the 1960s. Understandably this has serious implications for food security as we move into a period of steadily rising energy prices, greater climate instability, and global food shortages. It has also driven many small farmers out of the industry.

The rest of the world might care to watch developments on the Sunshine Coast of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ask yourself: Is it time to go back to basics? Is it time for supermarkets to grow their own vegetables on the roofs of their buildings using solar energy and recycled water supplies? Is it time for Farmers Markets to move away from being a novelty attraction to a genuine means for an immediate community to sustain itself?

ENDS

Shane Stanely's Noosa Farmer's Market Book is available from www.noosafarmersmarket.com.au 

Note from the writer, Scott Mathias:  I recall back in the 60’s growing up in New Zealand we used to go and buy our fruit from local orchards – there were no Farmers Markets in those days – but clearly remember that half way through that decade we were forbidden from buying directly from the grower because the recently formed Apple and Pear Marketing Board was given legislative power to control the sale of ALL apples and pears in New Zealand. This move was suppose to ‘get the growers the best prices’ – suffice to say that almost all of these family owned orchards ultimately went out of business as large multi-nationals became involved in orchard ownership in NZ. Bread was baked nearby and delivered by a boy riding a big black bike with an equally large wicker basket on the front. Locally produced milk was delivered to the door. Locally produced lamb and mutton was delivered to the door – perhaps we won’t see a return to those times as such but centralized Farmers Markets have a growing space in our ‘return to basics’ lives.