Exploring the contribution of peri-urban food systems to food security, urban resilience, building community and protecting the environment.
The fringes of land where urban and rural areas meet are known as peri-urban areas. These city edges have traditionally been food-producing regions, but increasing conversion to commercial and residential uses, fragmentation, land-use conflicts and global challenges pose a threat to continued farming there.
Our research considers what this means for the future of feeding the world's urban populations, and for farming.
Our Sydney Food Futures Project demonstrated the food security implications of urban expansion and analysed the planning and policy opportunities for advancing peri-urban food production. In partnership with the Sydney Peri-Urban Network, ISF developed a series of interactive food maps of Sydney’s current and future food production, and explored with stakeholders the feasibility and desirability of future scenarios and trade-offs to support improved decision making.
To demonstrate the potential future of city food production, ISF organised an edible food wall installation and series of events at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. The installation and talks gave practical tips and inspiring insights into ways that people can grow edible food in small urban spaces.
Recycled organic waste is also a critical component of our research. ISF collaborated with NSW Farmers and the Greater Sydney Local Land Services on the ‘Next Gen Compost’ project, to investigate current and potential demand for recycled organics across New South Wales. Together we implemented on-farm trials to demonstrate sustainable soil use and productivity benefits in capsicum and corn crops. We conducted surveys, interviews and other social analyses with stakeholders along the supply chain – growers, supply chain participants and consumers – to identify barriers that vegetable growers face to composting as well as opportunities to drive demand.
PROJECT | 2023
Regional food system resilience – dialogue with community
Northern Rivers Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Futures Roundtable.
PROJECT | 2022-2023
Improving Food Security and Community Resilience in the Northern Rivers
This project was a scoping study and situational analysis of the Northern Rivers Food system.
PROJECT | 2021
How secure is Australia's food system?
ISF researchers look into the spatial distribution of food insecurity throughout Australia and what can be done to address it.
PROJECT | 2018-2020
Financing peri-urban agriculture: conceptual development and review of the Agricultural Enterprise Credit scheme
Our research supported the case for a world-leading reward scheme for urban food production.
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PROJECT | 2014-2016
Mapping Sydney’s foodsheds
Capturing the flow of food to ensure Sydney's food production is resilient and secure into the future.
IMPACT STORY
Peri-urban farming: the key to Sydney’s food future
The way Sydney feeds itself into the future is being reassessed after an innovative mapping project revealed how small-scale local growers are losing out to urban developers and the big food chains.
PROJECT | 2014
City of Sydney Food Basket Survey
The City of Sydney sought to obtain robust evidence about one of the local barriers to food security, price. The project involved primary research into the affordability of locally available, healthy and nutritious food, in the City of Sydney Local Government Area and surrounds. The research supported the City of Sydney’s Draft Food Insecurity Discussion Paper.
Client: City of Sydney
Researchers: Jenni Downes, Emma Partridge, Fiona Berry, Christian Ege, Rachael Hackney, Peter Rickwood, Jade Herriman, Steve Mohr, Jason Prior, Kerryn Wilmot, Ben Madden
