Through Gather and Grow, Health and Wellbeing Queensland has supported local food production initiatives in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Far North Queensland to strengthen food security.
We are now proud to launch the Local Food Production Readiness Assessment Matrix (the Matrix), a culturally responsive and strengths-based conversation and planning tool that builds on these efforts.
Developed in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries (Queensland) and Nirwarra Global, and co-designed with Far North Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Matrix will assist communities, government and other partners to discuss the appropriateness and feasibility of local food production initiatives. It is intended to be used during early planning conversations about local food production initiatives to assess local capacity, strengths and opportunities for enhancement.
Using the Matrix, stakeholders are guided through a flexible and strengths-based dialogue across 7 domains, rating each along a 5-point readiness scale, and they record discussion notes in a workbook.
In practical terms, the Matrix can assist communities and funding bodies to determine if they are in a position to establish and sustain a market garden, aquaponics system or another food production alternative in their community.
For funding bodies, the Matrix provides a more informed foundation for investment helping ensure support is aligned to community priorities, responsive to local context and positioned for long-term outcomes.
Decisions resulting from using the Matrix can provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and funding bodies with an informed foundation to confidently decide when a project may be ready to proceed, based on community priorities, local context, and long-term visibility of the proposed initiative.
The matrix and workbook are now available to download.
