The Norfolk Island Food System Strategy 2025–2030 sets out an evidence-based plan for strengthening food security on Norfolk Island through to 2030. Developed by Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC), it draws together findings from the May 2025 Community Food Supply Survey, the RDAMNC/QUT food system mapping project, the Pinion Advisory agricultural audit, and the 2023–2028 food security strategy which has remained unimplemented. The Food System Strategy lays out RDAMNC’s proposed approach to improving the food system of Norfolk Island. Not all actions are deliverable by RDAMNC. In those cases, the agencies to collaborate with are listed and they are advocacy items for RDAMNC.
The Food System Strategy responds to a food system under real pressure — a growing population, an agricultural sector in long-term decline, costly and fragile supply chains, and low community trust in past initiatives. While 48 per cent of food consumed by survey respondents on the island is sourced locally and most respondents grow some food at home, 74 per cent rate food prices as a weakness.
The strategy is built around three active program areas — livestock genetics improvement (cattle, sheep and goats), a structured bare-rooted fruit tree importation program, and system stabilisation across water, freight, governance, food literacy and land protection. Its first priority is trust repair, beginning with a public accountability register of all food security investment since 2015. From there it advocates to the Australian Government for freight equalisation on agricultural inputs, a funded water security scheme, and reform of biosecurity processes for plant material.
We welcome your input on the strategy — please share your feedback via our short survey.
Update: 21/06/2026
Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent food supply survey. 144 residents shared their experiences, and your responses paint a clear picture of both the community’s remarkable resilience and the real challenges we face together.
What We Learned: Your community produces nearly half of its own food – an incredible achievement that showcases Norfolk Island’s agricultural heritage and commitment to self-sufficiency. However, you’ve also been clear about the barriers: freight costs that make imported food and farming inputs prohibitively expensive, unreliable shipping that affects both supplies and local business viability, and water security challenges that limit local production capacity.
Our Commitment to Action: Here’s what we’re doing:
New Initiatives:
- Direct Advocacy: We’re taking your concerns to government and industry stakeholders, advocating for policy changes and investment in Norfolk Island’s food system
- Project Development: We’re identifying priority projects from your suggestions and helping scope and develop funding proposals with the Island community
- Grant Seeking: We’re actively pursuing funding opportunities for community food initiatives, processing facilities, and infrastructure improvements
Already in Progress:
- Livestock Genetics Programs: Supporting improved cattle and sheep genetics to strengthen local meat production
- Sustainability Hub Advocacy: Championing community-driven food processing and preservation initiatives
- Freight System Work: Mapping current freight challenges and advocating for more affordable, reliable shipping solutions
Working for improvements: Your survey responses are our roadmap for advocacy.
We are also combining the detailed survey results with the Food System Mapping project we undertook with Queensland University of Technology in 2023/24 and ensuring government stakeholders have a comprehensive view of the food system and potential resilience improvements. That report will be available for all that are interested shortly.
Thank you for engaging in this work.
You can access the detailed Survey Summary by clicking HERE.
Update: 23/05/2025
A long-term healthy, affordable, and secure food supply for Norfolk Island requires evidence-informed decision tools. At a global scale, there is extensive research progress on methods to assess sustainability of food systems, with more than 30 frameworks available. Core domains usually assessed include social, economic and environmental considerations, while healthiness and affordability of foods and issues such as governance and resilience are less often considered. Trade-offs often need to be considered in local decision making—there are a number of approaches available that provide evidence-based decision-making tools for trade-off analysis, often involving multiple-criteria decision analysis methods using local data.
RDAMNC has engaged QUT to help select and develop the most suitable frameworks that will help the Norfolk Island community in decision making around improved food security on the island. They will be providing expertise in food security and nutritional priority analysis, and expertise in food system sustainability assessment and data-informed decision making.
Through the provision of an evidence-based framework, this project provides a means to facilitate information collection and sharing, engagement and trusted decision making about future priorities for funding and infrastructure that will ultimately seek to improve the health, quality of life and economic sustainability of this remote Australian community.
A copy of the report provided by QUT can be found here.