The report shows how regional food hubs can transform local food systems. Food hubs are businesses or organisations that actively manage the aggregation, distribution and marketing of source-identified and/or regenerative food, primarily from local and regional producers to multiple markets. They serve as place-based intermediaries that strengthen regional food systems by providing critical infrastructure and services.

The intention of the report is to encourage other communities to establish their own regional food hub. The report can also guide the new Australian Food Council in shaping the national food strategy.

Featuring Food Connect Shed – a community-owned food hub in Brisbane – as the case study, it provides practical pathways including the investment structure and community ownership, as well as how to build networks between food producers and eaters. The Food Connect Shed model addresses the nation's food security challenges while supporting farmers and building climate resilience.

Food Connect Shed represents a bold solution: rather than waiting for policy reform or market transformation, communities can build alternative infrastructure that addresses multiple challenges simultaneously. Regional food hubs shorten food chain distances, reduce emissions from transport and cold storage, increase the uptake in fresh and minimally processed food, reduce food waste and increase the farmgate price paid to farmers.