A while ago I wrote about the closure of the Heinz tomato processing factory at Girgarre, Victoria; they exited Australia to conduct processing offshore. This affects 15 workers directly but about 600 jobs in the local area and leaves tomato growers in the Valley with just one processor – who is systematically screwing down prices (and thus margins for environmental sustainability) in this region.
***
UPDATE: The co-op have found a home in Kyabram and have officially launched. You become a member of the GV Food Cooperative (lifetime membership $50) or make a donation.
All funds will be used to support food security projects. They will also assist in raising further investment from financial institutions to support economically viable projects. A detailed Cooperative membership handbook will be forwarded to you as soon as it becomes available.
The first project of the Cooperative is to establish a cooperative food hub in the Goulburn Valley to replace some of the jobs lost by closure of the Heinz tomato factory at Girgarre. To find out more click here. ***
Well the town aren’t taking it sitting down, they’re developing the Goulburn Valley Food Hub – based on the Girgarre site. This will include:
- tomato and other fruit processing
- an organic dairy processor (and at least two other processing ventures who subscribe to the sustainability ethic)
- a regional training centre
- a regional distribution centre
- a food waste/composting recycling enterprise
- a small forestry venture (using recycled water)
Or, for more info contact:
Tony Webb
Senior Lecturer
School of Natural Sciences
UWS
E-Mail: tony.webb@uws.edu.au
Phone : (02) 4570 1958 or Mob: 0418 212 632
cc photo by GimmeFood :)
Related elsewhere
SMH: Melissa Fyfe and Royce Millar , Farmers squashed as imports of processed fruit and veg rocket, May 27, 2012.
No Comments.