FOOD. SHOW SOME RESPECT
Food has an image problem.
And it’s not just about our expanding waistlines, or our warring supermarkets and the damage they’re doing to our milk industry.
It’s about food’s role in our society, its future and that we take for granted that it will always be there for the eating.
Given all the attention that Australia’s mining boom and its earnings generate, one might be forgiven for thinking that we’d be better off ditching our weet-bix for a bowl of coal.
But a little-recognised fact is that Australia’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors have significantly outstripped their fellow manufacturing, mining and retail sectors in terms of productivity growth for the past 15 years.
What this means is despite this nation continually underestimating its real value, the people responsible for delivering the food have been doing their job extremely well for a really long time.
Its continued success, however, is not a certainty. Recent events such as Facet 2012 have raised the spectre that Australia’s food future isn’t as assured as we might like to believe.
Even the Federal Government now admits it hasn’t done enough to acknowledge the importance of food – and all that it encompasses.
So, it’s developing a National Food Plan, which it hopes will produce its first “integrated approach to food-related policies and programs for the benefit of food businesses and consumers”.
It’s a tad mind-boggling that it’s taken to 2012 before someone in the government backrooms thought it appropriate to set up a plan to protect the nation’s food security but perhaps we only have ourselves to blame.
Most of us can acknowledge it’s rather vital in our ability to, you know, live. But, what about its role in other ‘little’ matters of national interest?
Did you know that some 2 million Australians needed food relief last year?
More than 90 percent of all the fresh produce sold in Australia is grown in Australia. With such a high level of access to fresh food why are people in our own towns and cities unable to afford it?
Have you ever fired up the barbecue on a weekend and thought that 60 percent of Australia’s land mass is being managed by farmers? That’s a massive responsibility, which needs constant investment, as well as ongoing innovation to accommodate the many challenges thrown their way.
When was the last time you cleaned out your fridge – adding to the 351kg of food waste every Aussie generates each year – and considered how many people, worldwide, rely on Australia’s ability to feed them? It’s 60 million people worldwide, by the way, who are fed by Australian agriculture and fisheries.
A further 400 million people are helped through Australian-generated agricultural development programs.
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11 Responses to this article
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Marnie August 29, 2012
I get really angry when I see farmers ploughing their produce back in to the land because it costs more to grow it than sell it. When I see farmers shooting stock during drought because they can no longer feed them. Sure, they have to sell them cheap to the wholesellers because if they didn’t all the middlemen wouldn’t make a profit, but hey! what about us?? We can’t afford to buy them at exorbitant end prices but we can sure afford to buy them direct AND the farmer can make a profit. Farmer’s markets are great but limited to small farm holdings. Come on, get your thinking caps on. We need to get produce to the table from the farm without the middlemen, then we ALL win.
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Ms Adelaide August 29, 2012
Are you seriously saying “you get angry with farmers”, Marnie? OMG did you read the piece properly? Just read the headline again, and it will give you some clues. What kind of milk do you buy? I’m guessing you do not know too many farmers then. I do not know quite where to start but it does completely confirm what this article is essentially about, the disconnect between the city and the country is a political nightmare of massive proportions. I have been worrying about this for a long time. It goes far deeper than food security. Rural Australia is our sustainable goldmine but too many people now grow up with no connection to the land and with every expectation that they are entitled to good, safe, ethical food at ‘cheap as chips’ prices. NO – YOU SHOULD EARN IT, THE FARMER SHOULD NOT SUBSIDISE YOU.
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Jay August 31, 2012
Well said Ms Adelaide!! I wholeheartedly agree. Such a concern and something needs to be done!
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Les Parsons August 29, 2012
When you see the damage being done to farmers by Coles and Woolworths, and companies such as McCain also reducing farmers income to below cost it makes one’s blood boil. Their filling the shelves with their Own Brand, which leaves an opening to using overses foods. Heinz closing their plant in Victoria and going to NZ which has a free trade agreement with Australia which will allow them to import from Asia and state Made in NZ, which could only be the label. It requires a re-think on how to supply to the consumer from the Federal Government downwards.While ever the consumer purchases the cheap milk ( which has 17% cheese byproduct added) and other cheap food products produced by our farmers in the price war between Coles and Woolworths, they are helping to destroy our farmers.
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Margaret August 29, 2012
I have blogged about signing up to Aussie Farmers before. http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/
Love all the fresh produce delivered to our door. Milk (real milk), cheese,yoghurt, eggs and meat. All fresh and keeps for ages, no more throwing out the rotten fruit and veg. We also give a small weekly donation to the farmers. Love it. We are fussy eaters, so if they please us they are doinjg plenty right! All the produce comes from the east coast, so the food miles are less and the produce deliciously seasonal.-
The Huntress August 29, 2012
I’m with you, Margaret! I love Aussie Farmers and get most of our weekly groceries delivered by them. Not only do we get to support our local farmers, we don’t have to endure the hellpit of the supermarket and we ALWAYS have fresh food on hand to knock a meal up, no matter what. If more people got on board Aussie Farmers we could better support our farmers and we get better quality, better priced produce. It’s a win/win!
Plus I love chatting to my Aussie Farmers man, Brian. He’s so nice and always puts a smile on my face
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catecat August 29, 2012
Thank you so much for this article!
About time for a National Food Plan, but in the meantime a big cheer for groups which have already started to do something (eg Food Connect and Aussie Farmers) as well as Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden school programme (which is helping to set kids straight about where yogurt comes from. -
Tracy August 29, 2012
We think Jen is just a great writer and we want hear more. Love your secret admirers
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Rhoda August 29, 2012
Glad this is finally on someone’s agenda. I worry most about prime farming land going under to suburban landscapes and then there’s coal seam gas – 3000 wells and 400000 projected – that’s in Queensland alone. A nightmare. I refuse to buy gas now and greenies should be doing their homework on this subject. It’s a terrible worry to anyone in the food industry or to anyone reliant on our rivers and streams.
And I never go into a supermarket if I can help it – there’s not much there that can be classed as proper food. A whole aisle devoted to soft drink. Another one devoted to cleaning products. Packets of this and cans of that – from heaven knows where. You’ve got to be kidding.
I grow a lot of my own food. It’s not rocket science. Does require a bit of organic fertilizer and some weeding – water is the big thing. If we can’t afford water we can’t afford to grow our own.
A National Food Plan has to consider both these issues or won’t be fair dinkum.
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Rhoda August 29, 2012
Sorry, that was 40 000 coal seam gas wells – not 400 000.
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Sara September 1, 2012
Thanks Jen. I love reading this type of article on the Hoopla.











