Food is essential to life and central to Australia’s culture and economy. Australians participate in the food system as producers, processors, sellers, and consumers.
Australia has a global reputation as a producer of safe, nutritious and high-quality agricultural commodities and food. We have a robust food system underpinned by strong food safety and biosecurity measures. However, our food abundance masks uneven access and equity. We also recognise food security is not a given for many Australians dealing with cost-of-living pressures. Data shows that some of our populations are more vulnerable to food insecurity and that a diverse range of households regularly experience some level of food insecurity.
The FAO state that food security exists when ‘all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’.
While we have a productive and resilient food system, we cannot become complacent. Our food system is under increasing pressure from a range of challenges. These challenges include but not limited to:
- climate change
- economic shocks
- biosecurity threats
- geopolitical factors
- supply chain disruptions.
What the strategy will do
The National Food Security Strategy will provide a long-term, whole-of-system framework. It will boost the productivity, resilience and security of our national food system.
The strategy will:
- ensure that Australia remains a consistent provider of safe, quality and nutritious food
- provide a sustainable, resilient and secure food system for all Australians
- support our role as a trusted exporter of food and contribute to the food security of our trading partners.
Who will be involved
The responsibility for the food system and food security is shared amongst all levels of government, industry and the community. The strategy will be developed in collaboration with all these groups through a co-design process. A series of co-design workshops will be held across the country from February 2026./
If you would like more information on the co-design workshops, please contact codesign@aff.gov.au.