Food security is an increasingly pressing issue for local governments around the world. According to the Ellen Marathur Foundation, 80% of all food is to be consumed in cities by 2050. Meanwhile, less than 2% of nutrients in the food byproducts and human waste generated in cities are safely recovered. Cities are far from closing the loop on food loss and waste. Local governments play a key role in supporting the food system transition to improve food security.
This article introduces the case of food strategy by Merri-bek City Council in Australia, exploring how local governments can strengthen food security through comprehensive food system design and policy support.
The goal of Merri-bek City Council’s food strategy
The city of Merri-bek has been shown to have high levels of food insecurity. According to the city council, food security is when all people have access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate, and safe food. The reasons are multi-dimensional, ranging from dependence on external food production, high food waste levels, to increasing costs. To address these issues, the city council developed a set of food strategies.
The city council has clear visions for the Merri-bek’s food system: sustainable, just, and vibrant.
- Sustainable refers to supporting a healthy environment, healthy people, and a resilient community.
- A just system ensures nutritious and culturally appropriate food that is accessible and affordable to everyone by addressing barriers faced by disadvantaged residents.
- To achieve the vision of a vibrant system, the city protects and nurtures food culture, celebrates diversity, and fosters a sense of community.
Merri-bek’s food system strategy 2024-2027
Based on their vision, the city council published “Food System Strategy 2024-2027”. Their long-term goals are to achieve food security, resilience, health, and climate resilience, along with a robust local food economy.
There are six strategic priorities.
- Food equity and security
- Sustainable local food production
- Inclusive, connected food culture
- Education and capacity building
- Strong local food economy
- Food system advocacy
Credit: Merri-bek City Council
Programmes
The Merri-bek City Council has developed a series of programmes based on the strategic priorities, from the Merri-bek Food and Material Relief network to the community market garden in Fawkner Merri Parklands Plan. These programmes together contribute to the city’s vision of sustainable, just, and vibrant food system.
Circular food system
The establishment of a circular food system addresses both the strategic priority of a strong local food economy and food system advocacy. It is therefore the city council’s main goal to cover the full scope of a circular, closed-loop food system to deliver benefits.“Friend of the Garden” is one of the initiatives to close the food system loop, where residents can access the compost of the community garden to deposit their scraps for the community garden.
Credit: Merri-bek City Council
My Smart Garden
“My Smart Garden” responds to the strategic priority of education and capacity building, with two focuses on growing one’s own food with minimal space and effort, and turning waste into garden resources. Under this initiative, 30 free workshops have been held with over 2,000 residents. Topics include introduction to permaculture, bushfood gardening, and home composting. 78% of surveyed My Smart Garden participants started or improved fruit and vegetable growing, and 89% report saving money through the program.
Shotaro
My Smart Garden
Participant
The My Smart Garden website and online workshops are a great way to be inspired and connect with others and there’s resources there for individual and community gardeners too.
Community Food Hub project
The Community Food Hub project addresses the strategic priority of food equity and security. It offers access to 24 types of culturally relevant food and results in an increase in average weekly Merri Food Hub customers from 90 to 158, with 38% coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Additionally, it funds targeted community engagement projects and events.
Credit: Zero Carbon Merri-bek
Olive to Oil Festival
The annual Olive to Oil Festival highlights the strategic priority of building an inclusive and connected food culture. Rooted in Mediterranean traditions, the festival brings together people of diverse backgrounds to harvest olives and press them into oil—a practice deeply embedded in the heritage of migrant communities who settled in the city after the postwar era.
For many families, olive oil making has been an important cultural ritual, but one that is hard to sustain at the household level due to the equipment required. The festival provides the opportunity to relive this tradition collectively, reconnecting with their roots while forging new community bonds. This year, 300 households gathered 9 tonnes of olives to be pressed into oil.
Credit: the Guardian
Learnings
The Merri-bek case shows that local governments can play a transformative role in shaping resilient, just, and sustainable food systems.
- Food security goes beyond access. It requires attention to cultural relevance, nutrition, affordability, and dignity. Addressing inequities is as important as ensuring supply.
- Community-led initiatives build ownership and resilience. From “My Smart Garden” to the “Olive to Oil Festival”, programs that tap into local traditions and skills not only strengthen food security but also deepen social cohesion.
- Closing the loop matters. Circular food systems, composting, and local production reduce waste, cut costs, and create a more resilient local food economy.
Overall, Merri-bek’s food strategy illustrates that food security must be designed as a holistic system—combining equity, sustainability, culture, and economic opportunity—to truly deliver on its promise for all.
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