Southern Forests Food Council
The Southern Forests Food Council has been established as part of the Manjimup Agricultural Expansion Project to brand and promote agricultural products from the Manjimup district and develop new pathways to markets.
The council was launched in 2014 and is working to promote the area's produce. It was one of the four regions involved in the quest for WA's Signature Dish, organised by Buy West Eat Best, which had its finale in June.
Its vision is to "Build the region's reputation for quality food."
Objectives
- Grow the value of agriculture and food production, create careers and encourage growth of local populations.
- Establish and maintain unifying regional brand(s).
- Strive to achieve price premiums for produce from the region.
- Achieve consumer recognition of the region as a desirable culinary and tourism destination and an ethical producer of quality food.
- Sustain the effort through on-going viability of the Food Council.
About the region
The Southern Forests region is located in a small pocket of the South West of Western Australia covering just over 7000 square kilometres, encompassing the towns of Manjimup, Pemberton, Northcliffe and Walpole.
The region holds 79 497 hectares of agricultural land and hosts 452 agricultural businesses. It currently boasts a gross agricultural value of $127 million per annum where the gross value of production has increased 17.4% in the past five years. The region is currently WA's largest horticulture producer.
Southern Forests Food Council contact
Laura Bolitho – Administration and Marketing Coordinator
Southern Forests Food Council
Phone: +61 (0)8 9772 4180
Email: laura@southernforestsfood.com