Leah Galvin believes that using a big lever like sustainable and/or values based institutional food procurement will create the interest needed by government and business to transform our food systems and prepare them for the serious head winds of claimte change. Sustainable institutional procurement can create public good through public spending.
In Australia, and Tasmania where Leah lives, each week hundreds of thousands of meals are prepared in institutions (hospitals, aged care, schools, prisons, universities, meals on wheels, social enterprises and hospitality) and there is a significant opportunity to make more of the food locally sourced, sustainably produced and healthy. The international experience demonstrates that sustainable food procurement has benefits to health, local and regional economies ( job creation and strengthened livelihoods of producers/growers/processors) and also the environment through reducing emissions and improving soil health. It is also consistent with delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. In July 2023 Leah started a project, Sustainable Institutional Food Procurement Tasmania - co funded by Sustainable Table and the Tasmanian Government ( through the Healthy Tasmania Grant Fund). You can read more about this project via Leah's web site.
Leah was awarded her Fellowship in 2019 and travelled in 2022 exploring business and government approaches to local and sustainable food procurement while travelling to the USA, Canada, England, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Leah has a background in public health nutrition and regional and community development. In the past she has won awards for organisational capacity building in her specialist fields of food systems and food security. Leah is an experienced project and organisational manager, working across a variety of settings including local and state government, not-for-profits, community organisations, business and currently works as a freelancer/consultant.
Leah enjoys cross-sectoral collaboration and is a passionate advocate for contributing towards developing more resilient food systems that prepares our regions and communities for future challenges. Resilient food systems will serve people, planet and profit.
Leah is a the current co-chair for the Board Member of The Community Grocer
Leah holds Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) in Food Science and Nutrition from Deakin University.
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