26 September 2023. By AgForce CEO Michael Guerin.
Agriculture has provided a strong steady backbone to Australia’s prosperity, and food security. Yet in recent years, I feel that centuries-long tradition is being overlooked, particularly by government.
We as industry have innovated and thrived in the face of many challenges, from pandemic disruptions to our supply chains, to climate vulnerability affecting productivity and many more.
I’m passionate about raising the profile of the incredible work of agriculture, so we are included at the table of consequential decisions affecting our industry and country.
Such as recent revelations from the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, that environmental laws will not be overhauled until next year - despite business and green groups urging swift action.
It is a source of continued frustration that agriculture continues to be marginalised from these negotiations.
But we can turn this into a positive.
This delay has provided an opportunity to call for Agriculture and rural communities to have stronger representations in these critical discussions.
There is plenty of common ground - AgForce agrees with the Federal Minister for Environment that “Australia’s environmental laws are broken”.
It’s undeniable - Agriculture has and will continue to contribute to environmental outcomes powerfully and positively.
So why is it then, in the media release announcing these delays in environmental law reform, that the Minister has singled out organisations across mining, environmental groups and state environmental protection authorities, but failed to mention Agriculture?
The minister advised she had 57 meetings relating to the proposed reforms – how many of them were with agriculture?
We also have the opportunity for concurrent reform across state regulations – a confluence of events we will lobby to be an integral part of.
We must get through to governments at all levels that it is also upon them not to miss the opportunity of investing in our landscapes, environment, and biodiversity by sidelining one of its strongest contributors.
Our industry contributes strongly whilst ensuring we have healthy, locally grown food on our supermarket shelves 365 days a year. That is a privilege a lot of the world does not share.