Media release – Food Frontier, 16 April 2024
Food Frontier report urges government to overhaul food systems for economic, health, and environmental gains
In a report directed towards governments, Food Frontier outlines the economic, public health, and environmental justifications for overhauling our food production, distribution, and consumption systems.
The Alternative proteins and Australian food systems transformation report underscores the potential repercussions of inaction, emphasising Australia’s vulnerability to missing out on market opportunities and falling behind in the global arena.
It lists recommendations that federal and state and territory governments can adopt to build resilience and prosperity in our food system.
Food Frontier CEO Dr Simon Eassom said Australia must implement support mechanisms for more sustainable foods if it is to achieve its climate change targets and remain a global food leader.
“We are now seeing many governments around the world putting policies in place to mitigate climate change. As citizens themselves take effective action, as seen recently in Switzerland, governments will come under increasing pressure to address all areas of concern, including food production.
“This report is not about pointing fingers; it’s about recognising the need for a coordinated approach across all protein industries. We hope decision-makers will find it useful and implement its suggested actions.
“We know current global food systems, which rely heavily on animal agriculture, are responsible for between one-quarter and one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Feeding a growing global population, expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and meeting increased demand for high quality protein will require us to provide a diversified range of protein-rich food in a more sustainable way. Australia has people and businesses with the skills and will to develop alternative protein supplies, but they need support.”
Amongst the list of recommendations is to install a national food minister and develop a national food plan. Both were previously recommended in 2023 by a federal committee responsible for an inquiry into food security in Australia.
The report is also useful to organisations working towards climate change solutions with decision makers and who need information about food systems.
The Alternative proteins and Australian food systems transformation report is available here.
EXCERPT
The paper lists the following recommendations:
Federal government
1. As recommended by the Federal House Standing Committee on Agriculture in December 2023 following its Inquiry into Food Security in Australia, develop and execute a National Food Plan, overseen by a dedicated Food Minister and informed by a National Food Council made up of industry and community experts.
2. Develop and execute a dedicated strategy to grow domestic food innovation and value-adding industries (including the alternative protein sector) and develop mechanisms to promote innovation in food production as part of the Plan.
3. Establish a whole-of-government National Food Taskforce charged with coordinating departmental delivery of the Plan and work closely with state and territory governments to align jurisdictional priorities and action.
State and territory governments
1. All state and territory governments appoint a dedicated Food Minister (as already exists in Western Australia) with responsibility for the development and execution of jurisdictional food strategies aligned with the National Food Plan. Jurisdictional strategies should be designed in close consultation with local industry and community experts, with the purpose of supporting existing agrifood industries to become more sustainable and resilient and catalysing the growth of innovative food industries, including alternative proteins, as a priority.
2. All state and territory governments similarly establish whole-of-government taskforces to ensure coordinated delivery across the responsible departments and agencies, and regular cooperation at the federal level.
All governments
1. Demonstrate support for alternative proteins through thought leadership and proactive sectoral engagement to foster positive sentiment for protein diversification and to engender investor and consumer confidence.
2. Co-invest with industry in enabling, scale-up infrastructure, including into onshore plant protein ingredient processing capacity and contract / co-access manufacturing facilities that can be leveraged by the sector to provide domestic value-addition, economic and employment benefits.
3. Proactively build Australia’s alternative proteins skilled workforce through subsidised studies, industry placements and targeted, skilled migration programs.
4. Pursue health strategies that encourage the adoption of plant-centric and sustainable diets and utilise government procurement to incorporate plant protein in institutional settings, such as in aged care, to address diet-related health concerns.
5. Generate investor attraction reports detailing the domestic and export opportunities for new protein industries through detailed market analysis.
