Friends of the Earth Adelaide

The program for the South Australian Food Convergence, From Plains to Plate: the Future of Food in South Australia is released today. To be held at UniSA’s City West Campus from 10-13 February 2010, From Plains to Plate will bring together community, business and government to strengthen South Australia’s food systems in the face of intensifying environmental, social and economic challenges.

“With climate change, water scarcity and the possible peaking of world oil supplies, there are serious questions being asked about the environmental sustainability of our highly industrialised food and agriculture system,” said event coordinator Joel Catchlove.

“Questions about the sustainability of our food system are matched by questions of justice, fairness and health, as we see that more than a billion people worldwide now go hungry while in our own communities we see increasing incidence of diet-related illnesses,” said Mr. Catchlove.

“From Plains to Plate provides a crucial opportunity to explore these questions and to work together to build a just and sustainable food system,” Mr. Catchlove said.

The winner of the Angry Mermaid Award 2009, announced by award-winning writer and journalist Naomi Klein at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen today is the biotech giant Monsanto with 37% of the total vote [1].

Oil giant Shell took second place (18%) in the Award for lobbying to sabotage effective action on climate change, followed by the American Petroleum Institute (14%).

Ten thousand people voted in the Angry Mermaid Award, named after the iconic Copenhagen mermaid who is angry about corporate lobbying on climate change.

Friends of the Earth International
MEDIA ADVISORY

November 30, 2009, MELBOURNE / COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – More than two million supporters of Friends of the Earth International worldwide want the United Nations (UN) climate talks talking place from 7 to 18 December to become a milestone towards ‘Climate Justice’, but the chances of achieving a just and effective UN agreement in Copenhagen are extremely slim. [1]

“Rich countries are responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today and must immediately commit to steep and legally binding reductions of their emissions. These reductions must take place without offsetting and without other false solutions such as agrofuels, nuclear energy or so-called ‘clean coal’,” said Friends of the Earth International chair Nnimmo Bassey from Nigeria.

Negotiators at the Copenhagen talks are expected to agree to binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions under the second phase of the UN Kyoto Protocol, which starts in 2013. This Protocol is the only treaty that enforces emissions reductions on industrialized, developed countries.

Media Release – 16 November 2009

As heads of state from all over the world gather this week for the FAO/UN World Summit on Food Security, an alliance of local food gardeners is calling on Minister Karlene Maywald, Minister for Water Security and the State Government for more flexible watering times for the growing of food producing plants.

Spokesperson community gardener and permaculturalist Dr Harry Harrison, President of Rare Fruit Society of South Australia, said today, “Changes are needed so that gardeners can water their food producing plants according to the plants requirements within sustainable and water efficient gardening practices, rather than the current set times which may be inefficient and ineffective.

Household consumption accounts for only 11% of Australia’s water use.

Statistics indicate that 40% of household water is used outdoors, which includes the currently unrestricted topping up of swimming pools, water features and ponds.

A Spring bicycle tour of food-producing backyards and community gardens in the Unley area. Get some new ideas for your own yard, meet other food growers in the community, and just generally have a grand old time in the sunshine! The tour is ideally suited to those who are thinking about growing their own food, or have already made the step! Guaranteed to inspire more gardening!

Sunday October 25 – Eastside Tour! 10.30am onwards. This bike tour will visit 6 diverse sites in eastern Unley, culminating in a shared lunch at Fern Ave Community Garden. Places are limited, so register with Sophie.

Saturday November 7 – Westend Tour! Leaves from The Urban Orchard, 12noon. This bike tour encompasses a suite of public and private gardens in and around Black Forest . Lots of gardens full of everyday creative ideas in a wide range of style, size and location. Join the cycling chorus of “garden here, garden there, garden everywhere!”. Bring along some food for a shared lunch along the way. Places are limited, so register with Jeremy.

The 2009 Tour de Homegrown is proudly brought to you by Friends of the Earth Adelaide’s Reclaim the Food Chain collective, The Urban Orchard, and the Goodwood Good Food Co-op.

The successful, homegrown fruit and vegetable exchange is coming to Gawler!

Initiated by Gawler Community House,  a new network of households across the Gawler area will be meeting monthly to swap and share the produce of their backyard (or frontyard or guerrilla(!)) gardens, and conduct workshops on gardening and preserving the harvest.

Why an Urban Orchard? – To provide an opportunity for people to utilise otherwise-wasted fruit, vegetables, herbs and seeds – To create networks within the neighbourhood and build stronger local communities – To reduce green waste and pressure on landfill – To provide healthy, seasonal food for the community – To share valuable skills, from pruning to preserving – To reduce the need to transport produce from outside the city, state or country! Less transport means less fuel burned, less pollution and less greenhouse gas emissions. – To learn how to make dolmades and to raise awareness of traditional and innovative ways to use locally grown produce

The Gawler Urban Orchard begins on Saturday 7 November 2009, at the Gawler Community House,
2 Scheibener Terrace, Gawler. Any excess produce will be donated to community food and health services.

For more information on this project, email Jill, or phone 8522 4601 or 0408 084 129; or drop in to the Gawler Community House, 2 Scheibener Terrace, Gawler (old ETSA depot).

Opening hours: Office: Monday –Thursday 9am-3pm; Op Shop: Monday – Friday 9.30am-3pm, lst Saturday of the month 9am-1pm

Look here to find a homegrown fruit and vegetable exchange near you!

Jim Green, July 2009

Article published in FoE Australia’s magazine Chain Reaction, August 2009.

‘Integral fast reactors’ and other ‘fourth generation’ nuclear power concepts have been gaining attention, in part because of comments by US climate scientist James Hansen. While not a card-carrying convert, Hansen argues for more research: “We need hard-headed evaluation of how to get rid of long-lived nuclear waste and minimize dangers of proliferation and nuclear accidents. Fourth generation nuclear power seems to have the potential to solve the waste problem and minimize the others.”

  Read the rest of this entry »

From climate change, salinity, and the peaking of world oil production, to issues of trade, urban planning and public health, securing sustainable and just food systems in South Australia is facing growing challenges.

In February 2010, “From Plains to Plate: the Future of Food in South Australia” will be held in Adelaide. “From Plains to Plate” will seek to build networks between active communities, government and industry to strengthen South Australia’s food system in the face in these intensifying environmental, social and economic challenges.

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from farmers, gardeners, planners, activists, permaculturalists, cooks, community workers, health professionals, teachers, policy makers and others to participate by offering workshops in your field of interest.

If you: – are involved with projects that aim strengthen local food systems, (including community gardens, co-operatives, cow-shares, fruit and vegetable exchanges, guerrilla gardening, community-supported agriculture or more); or – have practical skills to share, (including on gardening, design, composting, livestock, preserving, roof gardens, community building or more); or – have a food-security concept that you would like to initiate or share; or – can offer a professional or community perspective on food issues and challenges
We want to hear from you!

For more information, or to register your interest in presenting, please forward your name, organisation, contact details and a short summary of your proposed topic to Joel.

Organisational support
While “From Plains to Plate” has been initiated by community environment group Friends of the Earth, it is growing into a broad coalition of organisations and individuals committed to developing local responses to food production and security. We are currently seeking organisational support and partnerships, please contact us for more information.

Permaculture Education Zone presents Introduction to Permaculture
A weekend workshop facilitated by Kim Hill and Eric Nicholson

19 – 20 September
9:30am – 5pm (each day)
Box Factory Community Centre
59 Regent St South (off Halifax St), Adelaide
$150 / $120 concession

This weekend workshop is being organised by Permaculture Education Zone (PEZ) – a not-for-profit association trying to establish a City Farm (sustainability demonstration site) in the Adelaide Park Lands – and is being auspiced by the Permaculture Association of South Australia (PASA). More information about these organisations and other similar organisations will be provided during the course.

The course will be an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge, learn from each other, and have fun!

The program will be set by the group at the beginning of the weekend, based on what everyone would like to learn. This might include:

• learning from patterns in nature
• principles and designs of sustainable systems
• organic gardening, soils and composting
• appropriate technology
• water management

• community strategies, networks and resources.

  There will also be a design project in which you will have the opportunity to apply and integrate everything you have learned over the weekend into the design of a real site.

  All participants who complete the workshop and design project will receive a certificate.

  About the facilitators:

• Kim has been learning about and teaching permaculture for several years, in a wide range of settings and locations around the world

• Eric is an ecologist, environmental consultant, local food systems advocate and is chairperson of PEZ.

  The workshop will be limited to 15 participants, so please book early.

  Please contact Kim Hill on 08 7220 4156 or harmonic.designs@yahoo.com if you would like to register for the course or have any questions.

If you like Quiz Nights (and let’s face it – everyone does!) – then you won’t want to miss Reclaim the Food Chain’s night of nights on Friday, September 25th. This fantastic night of trivia, great prizes and delightful company will be held at the Clarence Park Community Centre – the home of Urban Orchard (fruit ‘n veg swap). Please contact Eric Nicholson at eric.nicholson@hotmail.com or 0420 837 961 if you’d like to book a table. Refer to the flyer shown above for all other pertinent details.