Current Activities
How does VEIL "reveal the present"?
Much of what will exist in 25 years time already exists in some form now - this is true for technologies, resources and the ways people work together to create new solutions. While there will inevitably be major changes in coming years, it is likely that many of these changes will involve the rapid adaptation, development and scale-up of innovations that already exist in some embryonic form now.
VEIL looks for these embryonic innovations now, searching for signposts to more sustainable futures that can then be actively and intentionally developed. Our work to find and communicate these innovations occurs through our own research and seminars, as well the work done through visioning projects involving many Victorian design students and staff.
The first workshop for our VicHealth Food Supply Scenarios project is being held on 23rd November.
The overarching aim of the Workshop is to generate material that informs the development of the exploratory scenarios. This workshop is NOT intended to arrive at a set of scenarios or defined scenario outlines. It WILL generate information and thinking that will inform an iterative scenario development process by the project team
The key question for the workshop is:
“What dynamics, or combinations of dynamics, could affect secure and sustainable provision of food for the Victorian community?"
Links are provided below to a range of background materials that may be of interest
Recent Commentary
The Copenhagen Conference on Food Security, Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute - 10 November 2009
Reports
Sustainable and Secure Food Systems for Victoria: What do we know? What do we need to know?
Paddock to Plate: Food, Farming and Victoria's Progress to Sustainability
Climate Change Science - faster change and more serious risks
Heads in the Sand: Government failure to acknowledge oil supply crunch risks conflict and threatens the climate
VicHealth has funded a VEIL-led consortium to investigate whether challenges to food production and increasing accountability for the environmental impacts of our food (as carbon and water prices become commonplace) could impact on Victorian menu planning and our ability to access a healthy diet.
These questions that will be explored in a new research discovery project funded by VicHealth and undertaken by the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (at the University of Melbourne), Deakin University and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems with Victorian Government partners including the Department of Planning and Community Development.
A video of Chris Ryan discussing the project can be accessed here.
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=04CDC57AC4AEE796&search_query=vichealth+chris+ryan
This project will develop a range of scenarios to explore how our access to a healthy diet is affected by different combinations of: unpredictable and uncontrollable external conditions; and our chosen pathways for developing sustainable and secure food supplies.
Scenario workshops will be held in Melbourne in November 2009.
VEIL and the McCaughey Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing are collaborating on a project to strengthen the awareness and understanding of distributed systems. This work involves research, investigation and communication aimed at:
- Producing a series of briefing papers exploring the environmental, social and economic value of distributed systems
- Increasing broader understanding of the diversity of distributed systems and the contexts in which they emerge
- Informing the policy and design work of VEIL and of the McCaughey Centre
Why this research?
There is a rapidly growing interest in distributed systems as an alternative model for the provision of socially critical resources (energy, water and food). This is occurring in response to a deepening awareness of the vulnerability of existing production and consumption systems to the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity, particularly oil. Simultaneously there is an increasing understanding of how localised and networked systems can act as a catalyst for social innovation and as sources of social connectedness, citizen engagement and community resilience.
Link to the distributed systems research page
As part of "revealing the present" in urban food systems, Ferne has been conducting research using food mapping as a key tool. As part of this research, Ferne taught an RMIT University elective for Industrial Design and Landscape Architecture students in 2008 called “Meals in Metropolis”. This subject explored a variety of urban agriculture models with regards to sustainability. Much of the coursework involved mapping – mapping the distance food traveled, mapping food growing in neighbourhoods and ultimately, mapping the input and outputs of selected urban agriculture models whilst suggesting ways to incorporate sustainability into current practices. The VEIL Food Map – an online map of food production in Melbourne – was also launched during this course. The outcomes of this work will be reflected in the VEIL map, in an upcoming paper on the food mapping reflections, and in the upcoming "Social innovations in Victorian food systems" Briefing Paper, which will explore the various social grassroots innovations occuring in urban food production, distribution and consumption. Stay tuned to hear more!
The VEIL research team have been scoping the area of sustainable transport to see if and where the VEIL approach can add value. Following on from our work on food we are keen to identify innovations that are already happening or may be becoming possible - how will we get around in Melbourne 2032?
As we come across innovations in transport that appeal to us we are posting them on www.sustainablemelbourne.com (if they're happening in Melbourne) or www.sustainablecitiesnet.com (if they're overseas). Many of the early freight examples we have posted are drawn from material presented by Liz Boulton at a Logistick sustainable freight seminar in October 2008.
From our 'Revealing the Present' research perspective we are currently scouting for the seeds of new systems, the case studies below are our latest additions . . . .
