CLIMATE change and global warming are facts – they are having increasingly disruptive effects on Australia’s agricultural industry, with water and food security becoming the major issue for governments throughout the world.
Achieving sustainable food supply without further degrading our natural resource is now one of the world’s most pressing problems.
On November 27, the Sustainable Food Supply Chain forum was held in Sydney, where a group of leading science, academic, business, and government representatives addressed the country’s leading food retail and wholesale community emphasising the urgent need to change traditional growing and supply chain practice.
Presenter Dr. Craig Miller, from the CSIRO’s Sustainable Ecosystems division, stressed Australia’s rural sustainability may cease to be viable this century if rapid transformation does not occur.
His engaging presentation was followed by Professor Leigh Sullivan from Southern Cross University, who pointed out that the environmental and economic situations facing agriculture are challenging, but creates opportunities for agribusinesses that can best promote and maintain the sustainability of their underlying soil and water resources.
The forum, attended by some of Australia’s largest food retailers, processors, wholesalers, growers, seed companies, banks and financiers, were told the only way to achieve sustainable agricultural supply throughout Australia’s farming community was through industry collaboration and wide scale change to existing supply chain practice.
Also presented was an example of a sustainable multi use farm who had adhered to “farm of the future” principles, where through a more holistic landscape approach, including the reintroduction of biodiversity, efficient use of water and other innovative farm practices, the property is experiencing enormous growth of up to 50% yield improvements, 70% reductions in water use and declining input costs through the reduction of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
The general consensus was that a wide-scale adoption of the commercial approach to collaboration across the food industry is not only desirable, but essential to the long term survival of Australia’s rural activity and related agribusiness. Further forums are planned over the next 12 months.
For more information contact:
Deb Mahony
Best Results (Aust)
E info@bestresults.com.au
W – www.bestresults.com.au
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