Amanda is a food host for the organic box delivery. 70211 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Charlene Gatt
A NEW social enterprise is helping families in the West get locally sourced food.
CERES Fair Food is a not-for-profit organic box delivery service that has already attracted nearly 2000 customers in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, delivering over 700 seasonal fruit and vegetable boxes each week.
“Fair Food is here to help our community get access to ethically sourced, healthy, organic food,” enterprise manager Doron Francis said.
“We are here to support local, Victorian farmers, farmers who produce food sustainably and have land-care as a priority.
“We stick with them throughout the growing season, not jumping ship because cheaper produce becomes available from elsewhere.
“Our customers love the idea of buying from a social enterprise knowing that their purchase means that not only do they get reasonably priced organic fruit and veg, but that their money is making a difference by supporting CERES.”
The program has a distinctive approach to food delivery, using local pick-up points instead of the traditional at your door delivery to reduce the carbon footprint caused by food transport.
The food is delivered to food hosts – individuals, businesses or organisations – where customers can pick up their orders. “It could be a garage, veranda or lunch room at work – we even have quite a few schools stepping up to volunteer to be food hosts, so that parents can get their food boxes as they are picking up the kids.”
Yarraville resident Amanda Pagan volunteers as a food host and said Fair Food was a great system.
