Australia's First 'Agrihood' Taking Shape In North Queensland
Agrihoods — agricultural neighbourhoods where food production and housing come together — are booming in the United States, and Australia's very first is in the works. Arkadian Developments founder Steve Grist has big plans for a new agricultural community in Far North Queensland. Agrihoods are popping up across North America, from retrofitted golf courses to suburban fringes as developers tap into a growing desire to connect with food sources. "The way that things seem to be happening now is that farms just get moved further and further out of town. Urbanism and suburban sprawl just continue. There's more of that disconnection with farming and the only interface you have is the supermarket or the community markets," Grist said. There is no agreed definition of an agrihood, but the research not-for-profit Urban Land Institute (ULI) describes them as mixed-use communities built with a working farm or community garden as a focus. ULI says common elements of agrihoods include dedicated farmland or food production space, farm service corridors, and clustered homes. Some models have a professionally run farm at the centre of the neighbourhood, which supplies the community. Others encourage residents to pitch in with the town farm, and food is available through a community market. Not all agrihoods will provide a full pantry, but they can produce everything from vegetables to eggs and even meat. Before that could begin, however, Grist said town planners needed to get on board. ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate senior director Matt Norris said their research found 73 per cent of US residents factored in access to fresh, healthy food when they looked for a place to live. Advocates say people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and the agri-residential model taps into this trend. With growing pressure on food supply chains, ULI says some local governments are looking to fast-track proposals that marry housing and farming. But campaigners in the US have accused some developers of "farm-washing" by designing agrihood developments they say are big on housing construction but small on food production. Food systems are under increasing stress from climate change, land pressure, and global disruptions, according to Rachel Carey from the University of Melbourne's School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences. "Clearly, looking at new innovative models like [agrihoods] is an interesting idea. But in general, our priority needs to be on protecting farming areas from new development. It is very difficult for farming and residential development to coexist in a way that allows farms and farmers to thrive," Dr Carey said.
Tags : Agrihoods ULI Randall Lewis Center climate change land pressure global disruptions North Queensland.