Australia should appoint a “minister for food” to shore up national food security, with agricultural experts warning recent high prices for lettuce and other produce could be “just the tip of the iceberg” | niltiac
Dr Rachel Carey, senior lecturer in food systems at the University of Melbourne, said Australia’s status as a net food exporter should not be taken for granted, and the government needed a long-term plan to boost food security.Janie Barrett
Professor Mark Howden, director of the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions at the Australian National University, backed the idea of a minister for food, given expected population growth in Australia and globally. But the DFAT figures show only 9 per cent of food exports by dollar value are fruit and vegetables. Carey said only particular fruits and vegetables were exported, and most production was for domestic consumption without significant surplus – and that means shortages when extreme weather events occur, such as the recent flooding in NSW and Queensland.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group II report from earlier this year predicts high temperatures and extreme weather events would directly affect Australia’s agricultural output, with yield decreases for wheat and rice and reduced meat and dairy production, as well as cause global supply chain shocks.
Michaels said seed production was hugely affected by climate change because it required a dry summer but not drought, while seed crops stayed in the ground for many months longer than vegetable crops, increasing their vulnerability to storm and wind damage.
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