Industry Discussion on the National Food Security Strategy
Industry Discussion on the National Food Security Strategy
On Friday 5 September, over twenty industry stakeholders, including the RWTA, met to discuss the National Food Security Strategy Discussion Paper. This group expanded on participants involved in developing the recently released Green Paper by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The purpose was to explore whether shared priorities could emerge to complement individual stakeholder submissions.
There was strong support for the discussion paper as a timely step toward a more resilient food system.
Attendees emphasised the need for a sharpened focus, identifying the security of critical inputs as the foundational priority for Australia’s food system. Addressing these core requirements was seen as essential to enable success across all other strategic goals.
Key areas of consensus included:
Establishing a systematic process to identify and prioritise vulnerabilities.
Recognising biosecurity as a standalone pillar of the strategy.
Formally elevating food security as a national security priority, ensuring industry insights are included in government decision-making and intelligence sharing.
Reframing the role of industry as critical infrastructure requiring strategic support rather than increasing cost-recovery models.
Strengthening regional preparedness through a place-based approach and building resilient Indo-Pacific trade links.
Stakeholders committed to supporting the development of a robust strategy, ensuring these shared priorities are reflected in submissions alongside individual perspectives.
