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Carey warns that the pandemic and its accompanying economic shutdown “is making visible the cracks in our food system”, for farmers and farming, as well as inequities in our access to good food and our reliance on charities to address these gaps.

Food banks and community organisations in Victoria are reporting a sharp increase in the number of people seeking emergency food relief, and civil society groups have mobilized rapidly to lead the response.

Shocks to our food supply, like COVID-19, provide an opportunity to transform our food systems in a way that is healthier, more sustainable and equitable

Dr Carey warned as the virus spread through the community shortages could develop due to not enough farm labourers being available, and workers needing to self-isolate.

Foodprint Melbourne's spokesperson, food policy specialist Dr Rachel Carey, says reducing food waste is “a fundamental part of ensuring that we have a more resilient and sustainable food supplies”

Colac Otway Shire in south-west Victoria wants to divert treated sewage and water that is currently pumped out to sea back inland, all the way to Colac, to support a flourishing food-producing region.

Food waste is not just about the wilted lettuce and smelly meat in landfill, it's also about the resources used to produce that in the first place, Dr Carey said.

These foodbowls also increase the resilience to pressures on city food supplies from climate change, particularly drought. But Australia’s cities are growing rapidly and their foodbowls are under threat as farmland gives way to housing.

Melbourne's food bowl is at serious risk of disappearing to housing development unless significant changes are made, according to a new report.

Protecting Melbourne's foodbowl. Story starts 15.25

Strengthening links between cities and farms on the fringe can improve farmer livelihoods and grow the local economy.

Melbourne will have more people to feed but less farmland to grow food on by 2050 unless the Victorian Government strengthens planning laws to protect the city’s foodbowl and promotes farm viability.

Fifth-generation farmer Deborah Corrigan's property is surrounded by housing developments on three sides, but she is determined her farm will not go the same way.

Farms on Melbourne's urban fringe are being crowded out as property speculation drives up land prices, a report has warned.

Unprecedented population growth is transforming Melbourne from a sleepy regional capital of 3 million people only 20 years ago to a megalopolis of a 8 or even 10 million by 2050 – double our current population.

Chances are that broccoli for tonight’s stir-fry or those strawberries from the weekend farmers’ market were grown just kilometres away on the city fringe.

Fruit grower Montague Fresh knows the land it farms at Narre Warren North is worth a lot of money to developers.

A new report suggests the amount of fruit and vegetables grown on farmland on Melbourne's fringe could drop dramatically if urban expansion continues.

Berry smoothies, eggs Benedict and vegetable stir-fries are among the popular fare Melbourne diners of the future may find both scarce and super-expensive if measures are not taken to address the resilience of the city’s food bowl.

Berry smoothies, eggs Benedict and vegetable stir-fries are among the popular fare Melbourne diners of the future may find both scarce and super-expensive if measures are not taken to address the resilience of the city’s food bowl.

Melbourne and its surrounds can continue to provide food for a population of 7-8 million only if Melburnians accept a hard urban boundary and higher population density, a new report says.

Urban sprawl is threatening Whittlesea and Hume’s prime agricultural land that’s integral to Melbourne’s fresh food supply.

Urban water utilities must prepare to provide more recycled water to food producers.

One of Melbourne’s food bowls could be under threat from urban sprawl and climate change, according to a new report.

More investment is needed in water infrastructure to support farmers at Werribee South if food supplies are to be secured for a growing population, a new report finds.

Feeding Melbourne creates more than 900,000 tonnes of edible food waste every year and most of that finds its way into landfill and rots to produce harmful greenhouse gas.

Urban sprawl could eat up Melbourne’s foodbowl and see future generations starved of locally produced food if governments do not protect agricultural land on the city’s fringes and outer suburbs according to an independent report released this week.

If you’ve eaten any of the new season’s asparagus recently, it probably came from Koo Wee Rup, a small town 60 kilometres to the south east of Melbourne.

Urban sprawl threatens to end supplies of cheap, high quality, locally produced fruit and vegetables for Melbourne families within a generation, research warns.