Glossary

There can be varying degrees of understanding and interpretation of new concepts and terms. The following terms have been gathered from a number of sources, and are included here to describe terms in a way that best reflects their use within the context of this project, and the business plan.  The glossary should therefore be used as a general guide, rather than as a definitive source.

Carbon Neutrality

Counteracting release of carbon dioxide.
Relating to the maintenance of a balance between producing and using carbon, especially balancing carbon-dioxide emissions by activities such as growing plants to use as fuel or planting trees in urban areas to offset vehicle emissions

Climate Change

Change in global weather patterns.
Long-term alteration in global weather patterns, especially increases in temperature and extreme weather events, regarded as a potential consequence of the greenhouse effect.

Community Resilience

The ability of a community to recover quickly from setbacks.

Food Security

  1. “Access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” (World Bank)
  2. “All people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic food they need.” (FAO Committee on World Food Security)
  3. “Access by all people at all times to sufficient food and nutrition for a healthy and productive life.” (The Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1990 {P.L.480})
  4. “When all people at all times have access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life.” (USAID Bureau for Africa, 1986)
  5. The report of the 1992 FAO/WHO international conference on nutrition states: “Food security is defined in its most basic form as access by all people at all times to the food needed for a healthy life.

Food Source Identification

Identifier such as a tag or label used to inform consumers of the point of origin of a food item.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A gas that contributes to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere by reflecting radiation from the Earth’s surface.

Local Vs Regional

Local food is predominantly about distance. The most common response from shoppers is that local represents a fairly small area around where they live or are buying a product.

Regional is considered to represent a larger area than local, associated with specific areas such as the South-West or North-East of NSW and often represents specific regional speciality.

Northern Rivers

Region in north-east New South Wales, Australia,  It includes the Local Government Areas of Ballina, Byron, Lismore, Tweed, Clarence Valley, Richmond Valley and Kyogle.

Organic Waste

Biodegradable waste typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms.

Peak Oil

The expression “peak oil” refers to the global peak in oil production, and occurs when the amount of oil produced worldwide reaches a peak and starts a permanent decline.

Sustainability

Development and activities that meets the social, environmental and economic needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable Agriculture

In the most general terms, sustainable agriculture describes systems in which the farmer reaches the goal of producing adequate yields and good profits following production practices that minimise any negative short-and long-term side effects on the environment and the well-being of the community. The major goals of this approach are thus to develop economically and environmentally viable agroecosystems and to enhance the quality of the environment, so that farmlands will remain productive indefinitely.