With federal election day looming, food security remains worryingly absent from the political conversation.
Particularly when you take into account that research shows one in three Australians are what is termed – food insecure.
This is a scary and completely unnecessary situation for a country with such a world class food production system that produces three times as much food as we need for domestic consumption.
At the heart of the issue is sky high and constantly rising production costs and ever-increasing red and green tape.
The answer lies in a strongly collaborative and bold reform agenda post election, where the needs of the environment, community and agriculture are genuinely considered in a comprehensive and inclusive way.
Our National Farmers Federation, of which AgForce is the Queensland delegate, have set out a strong set of election asks as the first step in influencing all sides of politics and trying to get this critical conversation into the minds of more Australians.
For the next couple of weeks as we hurtle towards election day, we must make this issue as visible as we can.
Whether that’s in conversations with candidates, in town hall meetings, on social media, or even on the radio, we must use every opportunity to give candidates a sense of the grave risk to this country if we do not consider the issue of food security more seriously.
As soon as the election result is called we need to transition to working with the new government and leave no stone unturned in this much-needed reform agenda.
In the agricultural industry and across a lot of regional and rural Australia, we know and understand well how complex a dilemma we face to shore up food security alongside strengthening environmental and social outcomes.
Our greater challenge is getting the broader Australian public and our new Federal Government to understand the urgency that’s required to fix it.
As well as ensuring short term food security, a strong and balanced reform agenda would allow the next generation to invest in the industry with more confidence, reinforcing food security for the longer term as well.
It’s a worthy and critical cause.
