Community Perspectives on Local Food in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven

The "Let’s Talk About Food" survey, conducted with over 700 households in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions, aimed to explore residents' thoughts on locally produced food, their participation in urban agriculture initiatives, and their shopping habits for local foods.

Key findings reveal residents highly value the freshness, quality, and community benefits of local food but face barriers such as cost, limited availability, and lack of accessibility. There is substantial dissatisfaction with the availability of farmers markets and community gardening spaces in the region.

This report proposes recommendations to improve the availability, affordability, and accessibility of local food through targeted initiatives that strengthen community engagement and the local food economy.