A consultation on the National Food Plan Green Paper will be held in Maroochydore on Thursday 13 September.
RDA Sunshine Coast Chair Prof Max Standage said the public meeting would discuss possible options and potential directions that could be adopted by the Federal Government.
“Tomorrow’s meeting gives stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback and help shape the government’s approach to food policy,” he said.
Prof Standage said the formal consultation was a successful result of last month’s Food Futures Symposium which attracted almost 100 industry and government stakeholders who heard the latest results of research into consumer preferences and behaviours and discussed opportunities for enhanced value chain collaboration.
“The Southern Queensland Food Futures Symposium highlighted the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for the region’s food industry. As a result, the formal consultation on the Green Paper is being held on the Sunshine Coast following assistance from Senator Claire Moore who delivered the keynote address at the symposium.”
Senator Moore told delegates at the “Food Futures Symposium” that the Federal Government was developing Australia’s first National Food Plan to better integrate all aspects of food policy to ensure a sustainable, globally competitive and resilient food supply that supports access to nutritious and affordable food.
She said the green paper identified the importance of research, development and innovation to sustainable food production in Australia, and the need to seize new market opportunities and contribute to the economic prosperity of rural and regional Australia.
“The national food plan will set the overarching policy direction, but when the three levels of government cooperate with industry in initiatives such as tomorrow’s public meeting, it leads to positive outcomes for our region,” said Prof Standage.
National Food Plan stakeholder consultation
When: Thursday, 13 September 2012 Time: 6-8pm
Venue: The Sebel, 20 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore
Register: To attend the meeting please complete the registration form.
For more information about the National Food Plan Green Paper click here.
