The world is increasingly complex with risks and consequences becoming more systemic in nature. Our sector is rapidly evolving as we are exposed to these challenges. 

To help practitioners, policy makers, and researchers in navigating these issues, AIDR, in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency, is excited to launch the new Spotlight Series webinars. 

The purpose of this series is to provide a forum for conversations about emerging issues in disaster risk reduction and resilience, and to highlight topics of importance that receive little attention or focus. This series will support practitioners to be informed, build knowledge and skills, and to identify sound evidence to support effective planning and practice.

The webinars will be one hour long with a feature topic and time for discussion and questions at the end. Look out for new webinars as they are developed and added to the events calendar.

1pm-2pm AEST, Wednesday 24 June 2026

Food security is a critical but often underexplored dimension of disaster risk reduction, shaped not only by supply chains but also by social, economic and community systems that influence people’s access to safe, nutritious food. This webinar will explore how disasters affect food security across these interconnected systems, from local community impacts through to national coordination.

The webinar will consider how risks emerge and compound, particularly for vulnerable communities, and how different actors work together to strengthen resilience before, during and after disasters.

We will hear from Dr Nick Rose and Mia Cox at Sustain: The Australian Food Network, who will share insights on community-led and systems-based approaches to building more resilient and equitable food systems. A representative from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will provide an overview of the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) and its role in supporting coordinated national responses to disruptions that affect critical systems, including food.

This session is designed for practitioners and decision-makers across emergency management, government organisations, community sectors, as well as researchers, who are interested in integrating food security into disaster risk reduction planning and practice.

Presenters:

Mia Cox
Senior Projects Officer, Sustain: the Australian Food Network

Mia is the Senior Projects Officer at Sustain and has 12 years’ experience working in community development in both not-for-profit and local government settings. Mia brings skills in community and stakeholder engagemet, place-based community building, sector development, strategic planning and policy development. She has a Bachelor of Development Studies and Indonesian Language & Studies (UNSW).

Dr Nick Rose
Co-founder and Executive Director, Sustain: the Australian Food Network

Nick is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming food systems. As a food systems educator, a Churchill Fellow, editor of two food movement anthologies and established researcher, Nick brings a wealth of knowledge to Sustain. Recognised as one of Australia’s leading champions of sustainable food systems, Nick’s expertise has been a driving force behind Sustain’s impactful initiatives, positioning it at the forefront of food system innovation and sustainability.

Speaker to be announced
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

Host:

Kaitlyn Samson
Deputy Director, Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR)