President's Report - Chris Gloor

This has been a busy year again for NSDA. Many hours have been contributed across the membership engaged in two significant projects, the Appropriate Biological Cultivation project and the Cairns Local Food Market project.

The Appropriate Biological Cultivation project examines the broad range of legislative and institutional constraints inhibiting the adoption and reintegration of our native flora into our developed landscapes and agricultural systems. The Vegetation Management Act discourages landholders from planting or retaining native vegetation that regenerates. The Nature Conservation Act is so crazy, that it actually forbids the propagation of endangered species. You even need a license to propagate native plants. The list of bureaucratic absurdities is extensive and very poorly understood, particularly by urban folk who tend to see natural resource management with a simplistic win or lose, exploit or conserve polarity. It has been the ongoing view of the NSDA that we need to be embracing our extraordinary biodiversity responsibly, not lock it up, if we are to develop more sustainable agricultural systems and prepare for climate change, peak oil and peak phosphorus.

Bood Hickson has been coordinating this project for the NSDA since 2004 when we realised that the Queensland Government's Forest Transfer Process would upgrade the conservation status of many rainforest regional ecosystems, effectively taking them out of the public domain. For years we have sought an intelligent conversation with the Queensland Government on these matters, but sadly it is clear they have little interest in discussing these matters publicly. As a result the NSDA has used its limited resources to focus on expanding regional awareness of these important issues.

Next month on Friday the 14th of November the Appropriate Biological Cultivation Roundtable will be held at Edge Hill State School to continue to educate and network this fundamental issue. David Skelton will revisit his "Constraints to Native Agriforestry" presentation to assist the participant's comprehension of the full extent of the legislative issues involved. Alan Carle will provide a Case Study to help focus the discussions beyond the constraints, so those attending can recognise what's really at stake if we continue to deny our biological heritage. The remainder of the Roundtable will include a facilitated session to capture the views of the participants, in terms of their positions on these issues and strategies to address them. Notice will be circulated via the NSDA Newsletter and we encourage everyone to attend and to bring along any interested persons.

For several years, there has been discussion around the need for a market in Cairns that would provide comprehensive and reliable access to locally grown and manufactured food and related products. NSDA Secretary Sarah Rizvi took the initiative to apply for seed funding to Blueprint for the Bush. Her success in acquiring a $65,000 grant specifically for funding the salary and ancillary costs of a Local Food Market Coordinator early this year provided the catalyst to focus our efforts on creating this market, with a view to launching the first market in April of 2009.

The task of locating the best potential Local Food Market Coordinator was discussed for several months and the search commenced in earnest in July, with advertisements for the position placed in August and the selection process completed in September. We are very pleased to have found an outstanding candidate in Imeea Svanosio, a third generation farmer from the tablelands. Imeea began working with us early this month and has already proven to be ideal for the position, with extensive knowledge and empathy regarding the challenges in the agricultural and rural sector, as well as a professional and market savvy approach to the urban and business communities on whom the success of this market relies.

Sarah and Imeea represented NSDA in a deputation to the Cairns Regional Council in September. The Council expressed unanimous support for the Local Food Market project and resolved to appoint a representative to join and assist the NSDA Local Food Network Sub-committee, with a particular view to locating any Council land that will be appropriate and available for the Market venue.

Nola Craig and Sue Fairley kindly agreed to assist in composing our first "Suppliers Wanted" bulletin and to circulate it together with their personal endorsements among their individual and extensive producer networks. The result was an encouraging response across a wide range of fresh and value-add produce from around the region. Imeea has been in personal contact with this first group and is now preparing for a second round across a wider range of producer groups.

As we are entering this next stage of developing the Local Food Market and electing a new Management Committee for the coming year, it is a good time to reflect on what I anticipate will be the major NSDA project in 2009, together with advocating for Appropriate Biological Cultivation.

There are 6 overarching aspects of the Market that bear consideration now.

These are:

• the three primary reasons we are establishing the market
• the primary ingredient required to make the market sustainable
• the likely impacts on NSDA as a network
• the role of the Coordinator and Management Committee

While it may seem obvious, I feel it is worth considering the significance of the three reasons we are establishing the market:

• to provide the local community with access to fresh locally produced food products, including value add (processed) products
• To provide regional producers - growers and manufacturers - with an opportunity, venue, logistics services and business model to achieve higher prices for their product, as well as expanded and alternative markets
• To provide a catalyst and means by which the local community can consider the implications (health, environmental, social) of their consumptive patterns and participate in building community resilience and food security in a collaborative process. For lack of an agreed alternative term, the group is currently capturing this concept in the word "education."

These are three very compelling reasons to build this market - good, wholesome, tasty, healthy, locally grown product for consumers, an opportunity for farmers to retail their product and opportunities for the urban community to reconnect our food source.

But as wonderful as it all sounds, it will all fall over without a critical 4th ingredient. That is commercial viability. If we cannot attract enough customers, the farmers will not return. And if we cannot offer a consistent and reliable broad range of quality product the customers will not return. So even though NSDA is not doing this for the money, it is absolutely critical that the Local Food Market be a money making enterprise. Otherwise we will fail.

What about NSDA? What will success or failure mean to NSDA? As I see it, the upside is terrific and the downside is terrible. To date, over the last 3 years, NSDA has been extraordinarily successful in delivering value for money in virtually every project we have undertaken. This has been entirely due to the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers, who have initiated and managed the various projects. The result is that NSDA has a very good reputation in the region as a network and facilitator. A successful Local Food Market will increase NSDA's visibility in the community and our reputation among our current network. It will work to our benefit when we initiate new projects, apply for grants or advocate change.

The opposite will be true if we fail at this enterprise. While it would be our first failure, it would be a pretty big one. A lot of people are relying on us now. There will be 100s relying on us by April next year when we launch the first market. It is essential for the community, our farmers, the taxpayer and many others that we make this a successful market.

I this regard, we are putting a huge responsibility onto our new Local Food Market Coordinator. For her, it is not just her job but perhaps more importantly her reputation that is at stake. Over the coming months NSDA will enjoy the benefit of having a professional from the farming industry on our team, with a good reputation in her community. If we are to enjoy these benefits and the boost it gives to our project, we also need to understand that her reputation relies on being straight with our producers and on delivering on the promises we make.

To do this, NSDA needs to offer our Coordinator the highest quality and most consistent level of support possible. That responsibility lies with the Management Committee first and the rest of the organisation beyond that.

This is a new phase of development for NSDA - one that we didn't necessarily anticipate or plan. If we intend to give this Local Food Market project its best chance of success, we need to up the ante at our end right now, today. Corporate governance, business and marketing acumen, strategic planning and perhaps equally important - a willingness and ability to dedicate some significant volunteer time on specific tasks - are all essential attributes and promises required of the next Management Committee.

Everything is "higher" than it was a few months ago. The stakes are higher, the benefits are higher, our impact in the community is higher, our opportunities are higher and the amount of money we will handle is higher. But so are the risks.

We have been fortunate to have very talented and dedicated MC members over the last several years. The list of their contributions is long and has probably not been sufficiently memorialised in the corporate record. Every one of these people - and I'm hoping myself included - have skills, experience and capacities that will be needed in the new MC. At the same time, we are moving to a place where these skills will need to be available - on an ‘on-call" basis - just about 24/7 over the next year.

I this regard I am encouraging anyone who accepts a nomination to consider the time and responsibility that this next year will entail. The Local Food Market, our farmers and NSDA will be depending on it.

If we do this right I have no doubt that we can build a successful and commercially viable Local Food Market and that it will attract new members, allow us to expand our network and continue to deliver worthwhile programs.

Thank you to everyone for what we have achieved to date and for your patience and support for my role in NSDA this last year.

Chris Gloor
President