Regen Sydney is working to build a regenerative future in Australia by connecting communities through food, storytelling, and conversation. Through their storytelling series, the organization is bringing together food system actors to reframe food as a shared source of connection and agency.
“We use that storytelling and bring diverse people onto the panels and look at food, not just as a commodity, but as something that connects us,” Emily Rowland, an active member of Regen Sydney, who helps to coordinate the Regen Storytellers series, tells Food Tank.
The gatherings, organized at Pocket City Farm, are designed to amplify the voices of regenerative farmers who are often left out of the dominant supply chains. The goal is to create an environment where diverse perspectives can meet, connect, and spark new ideas.
Through systems thinking, storytelling, and place-based initiatives, the coalition bridges the gap between rural and urban communities, connecting farmers with city consumers to uncover how food can become a vehicle for deeper community empowerment.
“We position ourselves as conveners…we’re kind of that third space to create a place where meaningful interactions become fruitful,” Rowland shares. “It sets the right conditions for transformative changes to happen.
Founded in 2021, the Regen Sydney network emphasizes a horizontal model, inclusive of all voices working towards a more regenerative and life-affirming economy in Sydney. Their storytelling series and food chats can reframe challenges and reveal connections that might otherwise remain invisible.
“I love foresight thinking…seeing the whole system and allowing the food system to see itself in a sense,” Rowland explains. “That can only come through with imagination and exploration, allowing people to surface things that they probably wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Rowland emphasizes that the network’s true power lies in the connections it fosters through storytelling: sharing experiences, insights, and visions across communities not only informs action but also strengthens relationships, builds trust, and nurtures a shared sense of purpose.
“If we want to go into a more just and resilient future, we need to have spaces to allow experimentation,” Rowland tells Food Tank. “Let’s lean more into place-based and nature-based initiatives.”
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Photo courtesy of Giancarlo Morini, Unsplash
