Food insecurity battle a team effort

LA Trobe University and Healthy Greater Bendigo have teamed up in a combined effort to combat food insecurity across the region.

Known as an innovation sprint, the event will take place from 15 to 19 November, with producers, manufacturers, health experts, City of Greater Bendigo representatives, La Trobe students, and people who have experienced food insecurity invited to participate.

Univeristy lecturer Dr Brad Hodge will lead the event and said it will provide background and knowledge to participants who can use their own expertise to discuss what can be done to improve access to healthy food.

“Sometimes we just need to take a few steps back from the challenge in order to really understand it,” he said.

“The innovation sprint is about understanding the complexities of Greater Bendigo’s need for food relief and healthy eating, then taking a creative problem-solving approach to generate and test ideas that might revolutionise the way that we engage with this challenge.”

The event is designed to explore the complexity of lack of access to food, and will also look at the region’s healthy eating, physical activity and social connection.

Healthy Greater Bendigo executive officer Amy Brown said the innovation sprint encourages a collaboration between a wide range of experts and people, to discuss the issue and find solutions.

“By tapping into young leaders and linking them to existing leaders in our community, we aim to generate momentum for more people to get involved and amplify positive change that promotes healthy eating,” she said.

For more information on the innovation sprint, contact Healthy Greater Bendigo’s Matt Moylan at [email protected] or Dr Brad Hodge at [email protected].