About this event
Melbourne’s most curious night out returns.
Join us at Nubilum Distilling for Volume 4 of SpillHaus for an urgent conversation about what the Middle East crisis is revealing about Australia’s food system — and what we can do about it.
🎙️ The Conversation: What the Middle East Crisis Is Exposing About Australia’s Food Security
Twenty percent of the world’s oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. So does 30% of the fertilizer that feeds global agriculture. When conflict closed this critical waterway, it triggered what experts call a “cascading drawdown” — oil shortages ripple into transport disruptions, which cascade into fertilizer scarcity, which ultimately threatens the food on our plates.
Most Australians assume our food comes from supermarket shelves. The reality behind the products on those shelves is in fact quite complex and fragile.
The Middle East crisis has become an unexpected stress test for our food system, exposing vulnerabilities most of us never knew existed. While headlines focus on geopolitical conflict, Nick Rose has been tracking what’s happening beneath the surface: the intricate global dependencies that determine whether food reaches our tables, and what happens when those systems fracture.
In this SpillHaus conversation, Nick cuts through the complexity to answer the questions that matter: Where does our food actually come from? What does “food security” really mean beyond stockpiling? And what can we — as individuals, communities, and a nation — actually do to build genuine resilience?
He’ll reveal how Australia’s food system is more globally dependent than most realize, why recent events should serve as a wake-up call, and what pathways exist toward a more sustainable, sovereign food future.
This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s a clear-eyed examination of real vulnerabilities followed by practical solutions we can implement now. And with the Federal government developing Feeding Australia, our nation’s first National Food Security Strategy, it’s a vital time to be unpacking these critical issues that impact us all.
Expect a conversation that moves beyond headlines and anxiety to explore what building a truly resilient food system looks like — and the role each of us can play in creating it.
👥 About the Speaker
Nick Rose is Co-Founder of Sustain: The Australian Food Network and one of Australia’s leading champions of sustainable food systems.
As a food systems educator, Churchill Fellow, editor of two food movement anthologies, and established researcher, Nick brings decades of expertise to understanding how food systems work — and how they break.
His work focuses on designing food systems that are better for people, better for the planet, and genuinely sustainable. He’s been at the forefront of analyzing how global crises expose vulnerabilities in Australia’s food infrastructure and what pathways exist toward greater food sovereignty and resilience.
Nick’s recent analysis of the Middle East crisis and Australian food security sparked significant interest, drawing nearly 200 registrations to his online discussion. Now, he’s bringing this urgent conversation to SpillHaus for an intimate, in-person exploration of what’s at stake and what we can do.
🍸 The Experience
Think less lecture, more participatory conversation.
Nick will lead us through the complexities of Australia’s food system — where it’s vulnerable, what recent global events have exposed, and the practical pathways forward. This isn’t doom and gloom; it’s a realistic assessment followed by actionable solutions.
After the presentation, join the conversation yourself over a drink, surrounded by Melbourne’s most curious minds who care about building a more resilient future.
This is intellectual nightlife: urgent topics, great spirits, real conversations about what matters.
🗓️ Event Details
When: Wednesday, June 10 | Doors 6:00 PM | Talk 7:00 PM | Last Drinks 9:00 PM Where: Nubilum Distilling — Kensington
An intimate, atmospheric venue known for its incredible spirits.
Drinks can be ordered via QR code throughout the talk.
Limited to 40 people.
This is SpillHaus: where serious conversations meet great venues, and Melbourne’s curious minds gather to understand the world we’re building together.
This event at Nubilum Distilling promises an engaging evening with thought-provoking insights into food security issues that affect us all. Nestled in Kensington, the venue's cozy yet modern atmosphere complements the urgency of the discussion, making it a perfect spot for community engagement.