Facing the realities of future farming
There are many uncertainties around food production. Ahead of today’s Global Access Partners 2013 Annual Growth Summit, Summit Executive Manager Lisa Middlebrook shares her thoughts on what needs to be done to make farming a top priority.
In preparation for the GAP Summit I attempted to research statistics that provide an accurate picture of the state of Australia’s agriculture sector.
How much do we produce? How much do we spend on our food, How much food do we export to other countries?
I can only say this. It is a murky picture. There are some statistics to suggest that we are producing more food than ever before. But at the same time bumper crops are lying in fields because they can’t get to market or they can’t produce a profit.
Modern technology and genetic engineering are reaping increasing yields and making foods safer, however, the environmental lobby claims these technological advances are bad for the environment and bad for our health. Then there are the statistics themselves, ask three different economists about how much Australians spend at the supermarket each year and you will get three different answers, especially when compared to people in other OECD countries.
Despite all of these uncertainties two facts remain – the population of Australia and the world is growing, we are simply going to have to feed more people and use less land in doing so. The question is, how? The other certainty is that all these murky details have a profound effect on the food we produce. At our conference we will be addressing the areas which effect Australia’s agricultural production and capacity.
It has been decades since agriculture has comprised as big a percentage of GDP as mining. If agriculture is going to fill the gap that mining is leaving what are we going to do that will increase production and develop capacity that will make food safe, secure and economically viable in this country.
After all if the economy is going to go from the mining boom to the dining boom we better do something about it and know I am not just talking Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer.
Lisa Middlebrook is Executive Manager Strategy & Policy, at Global Access Partners (GAP). Previously Lisa spent two years as Director of the Federal Labor Business Forum, and prior to that, she served as the Director of Business Development at the Lowy Institute. Lisa spent six years with the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and Progressive Policy Institute in Washington DC where she was a Senior Adviser on trade policy and was also responsible for external relations with the corporate community and non-profit foundations. She was instrumental in helping establish political relationships for Australia with regard to the US/Australia Free Trade Agreement. Prior to the DLC, she served at the Australian Embassy in Washington working on US Congressional Relations and trade issues. Lisa is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (political science and international relations) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Johnny Warren Foundation and the organising committee for the Steve Waugh Foundation.
ccollin6
September 21, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Facing the Realities of Future Farming
Adequate food production has been a valid and serious discussion for economist, scientist, politicians, and farmers for decades. In fact Lester Brown from the World Watch Institute previously warned of the critical state of the world affairs with regard to sufficient food stuffs to care for society needs. If it is true that the world is producing more food than is times past then the issue must lie with fair and impartial distribution of this necessity of life. If the Bible's promise of a time when grain will cover the highest mountain is true! That reality will truly be welcomed. But at present we are grateful for individuals that take practical aim at current problems that impact the global community.