The National Sustainability in Business Conference will be held in Brisbane from the 23-24 March 2017.
Dr Jennifer Alden is a Health Broker, her business Growing Change brings people together to activate ideas to improve community health and wellbeing. Seeing the link between what we eat and how it affects our health and that of the planet, Growing Change was established to support local community food initiatives and to consult to organisations, government and community to create opportunities to strengthen local health, environmental and social outcomes in addition to supporting local food economies. Dr Jennifer Alden will join us at the conference to discuss ‘The Business of Sustaining our Edible Future’.
In 2017 a diverse array of local food economies exists across Australia, underpinned by food system resources, often at the local government level, for small to medium scale agriculture, local community food and social enterprises and community food security projects.
Dr Jennifer Alden
Community enthusiasm for local food has provided a starting point for development of innovative enterprises and businesses to sustain our edible future.
A range of activities have taken place in Bendigo with outcomes ranging from the establishment of the Bendigo Regional Food Alliance, with small scale sustainable business involvement, to the development of significant partnerships for a Regional Food Hub.
These enterprises have the potential to contribute to a city that features resilience to a changing climate. In addition contributing to a local food economy that stimulates sustainable business growth alongside needed improvements in health and wellbeing.
With three decades experience working to improve health and wellbeing in the community Jennifer has a Doctorate of Public Health with a special interest in food policy, is chair of the Bendigo Regional Food Alliance and current board member of Bendigo Foodshare. A member of the Public Health Association of Australia and a Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, she is also a published author of the book Liberated Eating. Her most recent role was as CEO of urban agriculture not for profit, Cultivating Community.
More recently she has led a consortium that completed a study for the City of Greater Bendigo assessing the feasibility of a Regional Food Hub, undertook a feasibility study for a Community Food Hub in Wangaratta and is now in the process of doing similarly for the Wyndham City Council.
Growing Change was one of the organisers of the successful recent inaugural Australian Community Food Hubs conference. She has a keen interest in growing and preparing food as well as an interest in food security in developing countries. Her website www.healthbrokers.com.au features the blogs, Growing Change and The Backyard Pharmacy at Maison Bleue.
For more information on the 2017 National Sustainability in Business Conference and to secure your spot today, please visit the conference website.
