Integrated approaches to municipal food policy development in Melbourne

As challenges around the global industrialised food system continue to surface, municipal food planning and policy development is emerging as a prominent field of work within cities and urban environments. Local and integrated approaches to food system governance are necessary within this field to incorporate health, environmental and social justice concerns. This research examined the policy development processes of existing local government food policies in Melbourne. It aimed to better understand the drivers behind this work, how integrated approaches are currently incorporated into the policy-making processes, and the challenges and enablers that are common in this type of work for Melbourne councils. Although perhaps not as progressed as other examples of municipal food policy development elsewhere, this research indicates key areas of policy development where integrated processes are emerging, and findings can thus be useful other municipalities or councils as they begin engaging in food policy work themselves