On Friday 19 November 2021, there was a workshop hosted on ‘Healthy, sustainable, equitable food systems: The role of local government’.

The event attracted over 300 registrations with 150 people joining online on the day. The audience included representatives from academia and research, local government (staff and elected members), state government departments and agencies, community groups, food growers, and other fair food advocates.

During the event, the members of the research presented a project overview, and the findings of two of the four project phases: a policy mapping study of all local governments in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria; and case studies with six local governments that explored the process of developing and implementing a food system policy, and the barriers to and enablers of these processes.

They have also launched a report that details the findings of the policy mapping study, and our Australian Local Food System Policy Database, both of which are available through their website. Following the presentations, attendees were placed into small groups and asked to discuss a set of questions. This report provides a summary of the key themes that arose from the discussions.