Plan looks to secure national food security

The Federal Government has launched Australia's first national food plan, aimed at shaping the nation's direction on food production and exports.Producers, farmers, buyers and chefs are in Sydney today for a forum to discuss the green paper which calls on the public to make submissions on the plan.

At the moment, Australia produces much more food than it needs - enough to feed 60 million people a year.

Farm and fisheries production totals more than $40 billion a year. Out of that, food worth $27 billion is exported.

The Government says the first national food plan will help Australia achieve its goal of becoming the "food bowl for Asia".

Audio: New paper proposes future food supply options (The World Today)

Agriculture Minister Senator Joe Ludwig launched the green paper, which outlines the main areas where new policies are needed, including exports, market access and land use.

Senator Ludwig says in the coming decades the world demand for food - particularly in Asia - will jump dramatically and Australia must be ready to capitalise on that opportunity.

He says the worldwide demand for food is expected to rise by 77 per cent by 2050.

"If you look at the opportunities in Asia as we move forward, as the middle class grows, then the opportunities will be there for Australian businesses," he said.

"What we have to be able to do - and the national food plan that contributes to that work - is be well positioned to support those businesses, support agriculture, support processes [and] exporters all the way through to meet those demands as they come forward."

National Farmers Federation (NFF) president Jock Laurie has welcomed the green paper, telling The World Today that it has addressed a number of issues that have been identified and raised with the Government through the blue print process.

"It's about conflicting land use, it's about research and development, about continued productivity gains, about research," he said.

"It's about the important part [played in a] nutritional and good diet in the Australian community and overseas, and it's about getting access in the markets around the world and being able to fill those markets around the world."

Lost land

"There's an element in there looking at the coal seam gas industry and its interaction, urban sprawl another one. I think that the view with foreign investment is not that land's being lost to it, [but] it's just that there's foreign investors coming to Australia and getting an understanding of that is going to be the important part there.

But certainly there's a focus on those issues about conflicting land use and that's a very important component. What we need to know and see around the world is the tremendous potential in markets, and Australia's in a great position to take advantage of that potential.

But we need to make sure that the decisions we're making today in regard to competing land use, for instance, aren't actually going to do us damage in being able to achieve that goal.

So that's a very important part about this food plan is looking broadly at a lot of the issues and I think they've covered a lot of the things that I've said are a concern to us."

- NFF president Jock Laurie

One of the issues that sparked the food-plan process was related to the perception that agricultural land was being lost to urbanisation, foreign investment and mining.

The green paper also deals with the relationship between producers and supermarkets - an area that is already regulated by the ACCC.

But consumer watchdog Choice wants a supermarket ombudsman with the responsibility to oversee those interactions.

Mr Laurie said he would support such a move and Australians want to see their farmers treated fairly.

"A very important part of it is to make sure that there are codes in place that have real grunt, that all parties are going to abide by and adhere to as best as they possibly can," he said.

"It's very important but also very important that the Australian community realise that they expect food to be produced in Australia to a quality or a standard probably better than anywhere else in the world.

"And there's a cost to that and the Australian community itself needs to get out and support Australian produce."

Source: ABC News, 17 July 2012