Backyard Farming

The Brisbane City Council has recently launched a campaign which encourages Brisbane residents to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The campaign was launched with a number of media releases and a radio advertisement.

The basis for the campaign is a claim that "the food for an average family BBQ is travelling approximately 190,000 kilometres from source to table".

Apart from upsetting people in the fresh produce industry, the basis of the BCC's claims and its current initiative appear ill-founded and poorly directed.

Given Queensland's position as a significant producer of livestock, fruit, vegetables, cereal grains and fishing products, one really wonders just what is being eaten at the so called "average family BBQ" that would clock up 190,000 kilometres in "food miles".

The BCC has provided no details to support its claims or justify its promotional campaign, but it would appear to be based on an assessment of imported and/or processed foods such as olives, canned tomatoes, meat products such as salami and possibly a small percentage of fresh produce which may be out of season in Australia.

While the campaign may be well-meaning, instead of attacking a strong local industry such as fruit and vegetable growers, it would be more appropriate if their efforts were directed at encouraging Brisbane residents to – Ÿ Buy Queensland/Australian grown foods Ÿ Substitute fresh foods for processed foods - reduce packaging and processing Ÿ Consume Australian produced foods and drinks ahead of imported products - a classic example being imported bottled water!

Apart from being relatively impractical, the fact is that home grown production of fruit and vegetables will do little to reduce, and possibly result in a net increase greenhouse gasses.

Given that much of what the BCC is actually referring to in terms of "food miles" and packaging costs relates more to imported and processed foods, and not to fresh Queensland / Australian grown produce sold by greengrocers and retailers from box packed displays which give consumers choice, healthy fresh produce.

Brisbane Markets Limited has written to the Lord Mayor asking him to look at more appropriate ways of supporting greenhouse gas reductions including a promotion which supports the consumption of fresh Australian grown produce.