The FOOPL Program
At the 2019 AGM, AFSA announced the creation of the FOOPL Program – a new channel to help grow new growers, support young farmers, and facilitate access to land for aspiring growers all over Australia.
We’re currently working with a range of farmer-advisors to help design the next steps, and looking forward to launching our first FOOPL actions soon!
FOOPL activities will support and encourage new farming ventures on existing farms and underutilized land, including support to young and new farmers to develop skills and tools for successful farm enterprises. FOOPL will support actions which:
- share knowledge, resources, expertise and skillsets;
- enhance and strengthen local food communities;
- enable young households achievable access to land and accommodation;
- reduce structural social inequalities;
- produce healthy food at the local level; and
Through FOOPL, AFSA will also support growing more growers through:
- documenting and disseminating successful share farming enterprises;
- creating training and mentoring programs in regenerative farming and collaborative decision-making;
- the provision of microloans and small grants;
- networking amongst small farmers and landholders; and
- identifying performance indicators of successful share farming ventures.