SEQ Food Summit 2026
July 19, 2026
The way we do food shapes the region we become
SEQ Food Summit is three days of conversation, collaboration and strategy across all levels of the food system. We’re bringing together families, farmers, chefs, government and more to rethink the way our incredible region grows, buys and shares food.
South East Queensland is the fastest growing region in Australia - expected to be home to another 1.5 million people in the next 15 years. Loads of potential, and loads at stake.
By building stronger, smarter, regenerative food systems now, we can:
- provide food security and better nutrition to our growing population
- boost the economy with prosperous farming and food service industries
- insulate our communities from cost-of-living pressures, supply disruptions and global crises
- prioritise First-Nations leadership in our native foods sector
- create a 2032 Games legacy to be proud of
- lower emissions and repair country
Our unique three-day program has dedicated sessions for community, industry and policymakers. Each day we capture the voices, ideas and commitments of each group, feeding their viewpoints through to be heard and actioned by the next. Community shares the future they want to see and plans for grassroots change. Industry works on the business of it all, building pathways and partnerships. Policy explores ways to enable and make it possible.
PROGRAM
Your Food, Your Future - Community Workshop - SEQ Food Summit People's Day
2-4pm, Food Connect Shed, Salisbury
Do you dream of a fairer, thriving food system? Perhaps you are already contributing to it. We can create a healthier, wilder, kinder food system within 10 years if it is valued and prioritised. What can we do together to amplify and myceliate this change - for a vibrant local food culture that nourishes communities, the wellbeing of people and place, biodiversity, living soils and livelihoods? And if your ideas could be heard clearly by industry and policy makers, what would you say?
Join hosts Morag Gamble and Costa Georgiadis for this uplifting workshop - giving you tools, hope and inspiration for the future of food.
Registration gets you free entry to Reel Food Stories, and half price tickets to Eat Drink Think
SEQ Food Summit People's Day workshop - more info and registration here
People's Day is proudly supported by the Permaculture Education Institute
Pull up a seat for a relaxed Sunday evening of short films celebrating the farmers, creatives and communities doing good things with, in and around food. Grab an early dinner from the food truck, drink from the bar and settle in for some uplifting moments, pushed boundaries and plenty of food for thought.
On the night:
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A curated programme of short films - Brewing Blind, Local Food Stories, Tucker
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Food & drink available for purchase from our bar and food truck - native/Latin fusion from Kuppibunda Kitchen, local spirits, and beer brewed onsite by Food Connect Shed tenant and film subject, Blind Boy Brewing.
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All welcome - families, mates, locals and fellow foodies (no pets other than service animals, sorry!)
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A great night out with people who give a damn about good food.
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10% of bar profits from the night support Agroecology & Food Sovereignty Alliance
Industry-only forum for farmers, wholesalers, chefs and procurers
1-4pm - Food Connect Shed, Salisbury
South East Queensland's at a big moment. The decisions being made about food right now - what we eat, how farms survive the next decade, about who supplies our institutions, what our supply chains look like as the region grows - will shape our plates (and region) for a generation. Industry Day of SEQ Food Summit exists to make sure the people doing the actual work have a hand in shaping what comes next.
If you're a farmer, chef, wholesaler, hospitality or tourism operator, procurement lead or logistics pro, this is the room for you to be in.
You already know supply chains matter and the "why" of sourcing local. What Industry Day is designed to unpack is the how:
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How can regenerative farming and land stewardship break through the perception of risky/niche to build resilience and profitability for the whole supply chain?
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How do kitchens source more locally when margins are tight, volumes are high and consistency matters?
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How do farmers, wholesalers, chefs, procurement teams and venues work together more effectively?
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What support, policy or partnerships are actually needed to make this reality and not just good intentions?
Through a combination of robust discussion, high energy collaboration and real-world experiences, you’ll hear from businesses already making local, sustainable sourcing work, and the peers and future collaborators who can help you do the same. The key findings you raise on Industry Day feed directly into Policy Day, putting the priorities of the food sector in front of government decision-makers the very next morning.
FULL PROGRAM AND TICKETS HERE
Industry Day is proudly supported by Healthy Land & Water, and Suncoast Fresh.
This community engagement activity is funded by the Queensland Government's Natural Resource Recovery Program.
Eat Drink Think - in conversation with Brisbane food scene insiders
6pm - Food Connect Shed, Salisbury
Grab a drink and gather fuel for your next dinner party conversation (and menu) - we're bringing together 5 insiders with unique stories on culture, celebration and what makes our local food scene tick.
From the farmers behind the ingredients in your favourite restaurants, to the joy and impact of celebrating local food, to feminism and food sovereignty, join us for honest, wide-ranging chat about our food culture - where it's been, where it's going, and what it says about us.
- Hosted by food writer, restaurant critic and podcaster, Dani Valent
- Authors in conversation, with 3 women behind recently released (and raved about) books on food in Brisbane and beyond. A combo deal of casual chat and deep insights into what they've loved, learned and noticed about food, and the people and communities behind it:
- Lucy Ridge (Fed Up)
- Sam Parish (Chefs Eat Brisbane)
- Shika Finnemore (Eat Brisbane)
- From the farm - go even further behind the scenes with two of our region's most community minded growers and advocates for local food:
- Jacki Hinchey (Blue Dog Farm)
- Phil Garozzo (Loop Growers)
- Food available to purchase from local legends Ta'ameya and Saucy Wench
SEQ Food Summit Policy Day
A full day forum bringing together the leaders and decision makers guiding South East Queensland through this era of challenge and opportunity - designed for people who already understand the stakes. We’re filling a room with direct access to the research, the doers and the cross-sector perspectives that too-rarely occupy the same space at the same time. This is an opportunity to learn, connect and identify share the load through aligned action.
Panels and workshops include:
- Farming For Resilient Regions - the policies, funding and infrastructure that underpin our food security and create prosperity
- Procurement Foundation: Shaping a Collective Food Vision for SEQ Ahead of the 2032 Games - testing and exploring the vast potential of the Olympics and Paralympics against the realities of Queensland's procurement policies and food system.
- Feeding Queensland: Building Partnerships that Actually Work - what cross-sector collaboration looks like when it delivers - the conditions, arrangements and complex relationships.
- And more
FULL AGENDA, SPEAKERS AND TICKETS HERE
Proudly supported by Noosa Council and The University of Queensland - Centre for Policy Futures
Partnerships
Your organisation can be front and centre in the conversation and show your support for your community by becoming an event partner. Contact us for a copy of the packages.
Questions? Contact jessie@foodconnectfoundation.org.au