Sign up to the Code and Scheme now
Food Security is when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
For people in remote communities this may mean:
"When the food of our ancestors is protected and always there for us and our children. It is when we can easily access and afford the right non-traditional food for collective health and active life. When we are food secure, we can provide, share and fulfil our responsibilities, we can choose good food knowing how to make choices and how to prepare and use it."
Food in remote communities is expensive and not consistently available due to low purchasing power of remote suppliers, higher remote store operating costs - such as freight and repairs - and the impact of weather extremes.
The high cost of food in remote communities is linked to high levels of food insecurity and preventable nutrition-related diseases in remote communities.
The Government is delivering a range of initiatives to support food security in remote First Nations communities:
- The Low-cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme
- The National Code of Practice for Remote Store Operations and related projects to build the capacity of remote community stores to meet the Code
- The Governance Training Package for Remote Community Stores
- The First Nations Nutrition Workforce Initiative
- Store Efficiency and Resilience Package (E&R Grants).