Mayi Market
OVERVIEW Our Cape York First Nations people are amongst the most disadvantaged in the nation yet have been paying up to triple the price for food compared to regional mainstream communities such as Cairns. One in five Indigenous people in remote areas report no usual daily fruit intake, with 15 per cent reporting no usual vegetable intake. Apunipima Cape York Health Council reports diabetes in children as young as five years of age, and growing concerns about under-nutrition and early obesity. With a sturdy statistical relationship existing between food insecurity, affordability, and chronic disease, it’s clear that the exorbitant cost of fresh food in Cape York remote communities is contributing to a high prevalence of undernutrition, obesity and diabetes in chronic co-existence. The Mayi Market was established to bring fresh fruit,
vegetables, meat, seafood and eggs to Cape York remote communities at regional mainstream prices. To achieve this, food is delivered differently. The Mayi Market is a nofrills, not-for-profit, online ordering model delivering food boxes to remote customers each fortnight. These boxes are designed to suit the evolving needs of customers, which include for example pantry boxes and seasonal boxes such as Christmas, Easter and wet season. The Mayi Market was launched in Coen, Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge, and Wujal Wujal in 2020 and Aurukun in October 2021. It will be progressively expanded to more Cape York communities in line with demand. Mayi Market is also developing relationships with schools and community groups to supply fresh produce throughout the community.
Family Empowerment Report // July-December 2021
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