Sustainable food choices

The choices we make about food can have widespread impacts on the health of not only our bodies, but also the ecosystem, the farmers, and other workers within the supply chain. This ripple effect means that we can make a positive impact with each purchase. This page provides information about what we can do as individuals. 

Join your local community garden

Community gardening is a great way to improve your wellbeing and connect with your community, all whilst growing your own supply of nutritious food! Share your tips and tricks with each other, swap produce, and learn new skills. There are currently two active community gardens in the Byron Shire, for more information visit:

Mullumbimby Community Garden

Mullumbimby Community Garden (MCG) is located on 2ha of Council land at the southern end of Stuart Street, Mullumbimby. The Garden is an interactive facility that integrates principles of organic gardening, composting, water conservation, energy efficiency, recycling and creative art. MCG consists of communal gardens, as well as private allotments where members can harvest their own organic fruit, vegetables and flowers.  

• Mullumbimby Community Gardens website

Ocean Shores (Shara) Community Garden

Ocean Shores (Shara) Community Gardens is located on 1,600m²  of Council land adjoining Shara Boulevarde in North Ocean Shores. The communal garden will include veggie beds, fruit and nut tree orchards, shade structures, compost bays and water tanks.  

• Ocean Shores (Shara) Community Gardens website

Consider your food choices

Food and grocery items can have a large impact on the environment and the people that grow and produce it. Some things to consider when buying your weekly groceries include:

• Buy in bulk - there are plenty of bulk food stores around the shire to help you avoid unnecessary packaging
• Look for fair trade and organic labels - fair trade ensures that workers within the supply chain are paid an adequate living wage, whilst buying organic ensures that the health of the environment, farmers, animals and consumers is not compromised by the application of synthetic chemicals
• Only buy what you need - food waste has become a huge global issue, not only increasing carbon emissions but also wasting food that could otherwise be used by those in need. Write a weekly meal plan to limit over-buying, grow your own, or start composting at home 

Shop local

Here in the Byron Shire we have plenty of options available to shop local and organic. With a farmers market offering farm fresh produce on almost every day of the week, and a range of local, independent stores for those last minute grocery runs, it would be hard not to support your local farmers and businesses! Here is our guide to some of our favorite local grocery options:

• Byron Bay Food Production
• Northern Rivers Food
• Byron Bay Food Producers
• Farmers Markets