Robyn Rosenfeldt speaks with Helena Norberg-Hodge about the localisation movement, and why we need to be creating stronger local food systems and stronger connections within our community.

Author and film maker, Helena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of the international non-profit organisation, Local Futures, a pioneer of the new economy movement, and the convenor of World Localisation Day.

Over the past few years, we have been experiencing increasing problems with our country’s supply chains that are leaving us with empty supermarket shelves and issues accessing fresh produce and other supplies.

To combat this, we need to be creating stronger local food economies, where the food we eat is grown within our local communities and not shipped in from across the globe.

How is it that food shipped from the other side of the planet is cheaper than the food grown locally? And why is food grown in one country shipped across the world to be processed, only to be returned and sold back to that country again?

It comes down to global supply chains and trade agreements that favour big business and industrialised agriculture, which make it almost impossible to survive as a small grower.

Creating local food economies increases not only our local food security but also our happiness, as it is connection and community that humans crave.

Norberg-Hodge shares her knowledge and experience of creating local food economies across the globe and ideas about how we can do the same.

To find about more about Helena’s work and the localisation movement go to www.localfutures.org