Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Minister
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2023-24

    Budget 2023-24

    The 2023–24 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 9 May 2023.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Trade and market access
  4. Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative

Sidebar first - Market access trade

  • Trade and Market Access
    • Agricultural Trade Quarterly Briefing
    • Agri-Business Expansion Initiative
    • Trade tips for exporters
    • Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC)
    • Free trade agreements (FTAs)
      • Free trade agreements signed (but not yet in force) or under negotiation
    • Global Agriculture Advocacy
    • National Traceability
      • Australian Agricultural Traceability Alliance
      • Agricultural Traceability Grants
      • Agricultural Traceability Projects
    • Non-tariff measures
    • Our agriculture counsellors
    • PHAMA Plus partnership
    • World Trade Organization (WTO)
      • Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
        • Australia’s SPS contact point
        • WTO SPS agreement: why you need to know …
      • Technical barriers to trade
    • Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector
    • Improving agricultural export legislation
      • Useful legislation links
    • 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Preparing for Brexit
    • Transforming Australia’s agricultural export services
    • UN Food Systems Summit 2021
    • Feeding the Future - a joint report

Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative

The Australian Government is investing $15 million over four years under the Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative (GALI) to step up Australia’s leadership in international agriculture and food policy discussions.

This increased effort will enhance Australia’s global reputation and leadership on agricultural trade. It will lift our engagement and influence in multilateral institutions and strengthen relationships with key likeminded partners.

Australian agriculture interests are impacted significantly by international developments. This includes global policy debates on issues such as agriculture sustainability, anti-microbial resistance and animal welfare.

Special Representative for Australian Agriculture - Su McCluskey

Su McCluskey

As the first Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Su McCluskey works to promote the sector through the Australian Government’s Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative.

Su brings a depth of knowledge to the role as a Director of Australian Unity, Foundation for Young Australians, Australian Pork Research Institute, Australian Wool Network Pty Ltd and as a Commissioner for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.

Previously Su was the CEO of the Regional Australia Institute and the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations, and the Executive Director of the Office of Best Practice Regulation. She has held senior positions with the Business Council of Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Taxation Office.

When she isn’t working to promote and enhance the agricultural sector, Su runs a beef cattle farm in Yass, New South Wales.

Video transcript - Su McCluskey DOCX (61 KB)

The Special Representative will:

  • amplify existing efforts to protect global rules and norms
  • enhance Australian engagement in key international agriculture and food standards organisations
  • engage internationally and domestically and provide a visible face for our efforts to support the rules-based order of global co-operation. This is a key factor in growing Australian agricultural trade.
  • work with Australian agricultural industries and promote Australia’s systems to influence global rules, norms and policy. This will strengthen our engagement at a time where trade in agriculture is facing unprecedented challenges.

Enhanced engagement in international standards organisations

Globally agreed animal, plant and food health standards underpin Australia’s agriculture trade. International standards, using science-based decision making, are the cornerstone of international production and trade. Australia invests significant time and resources to influence and develop international standards that represent Australia’s interest. This allows agricultural industries to operate with confidence.

GALI will boost Australian expertise and input to key standard setting bodies, including Codex, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

GALI Updates

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Murray Watt, met with the Special Representative for Australian Agriculture (SRAA), Ms Su McCluskey on 2 August 2022
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Murray Watt, met with the Special Representative for Australian Agriculture (SRAA), Ms Su McCluskey on 2 August 2022.

In early August, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, met with Ms Su McCluskey to discuss her role as Special Representative for Australian Agriculture.

Ms McCluskey shared insights into the challenges and opportunities for agriculture trade, including the growing demand from trading partners for sustainability credentials. They also discussed the importance of international standards, science-based decision making, and the opportunity for greater leadership by Australia in global discussions on agriculture’s response to climate change and contribution to sustainable production.

Photograph of five people standing in front of a yellow wall.
From left to right: Macaulay Jones – Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor, Mel Poulton- Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Colin Hurst - Federated Farmers National Board Member, Su McCluskey - Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, David Birkett - Federated Farmers National Arable Council, met in New Zealand.

Since being appointed as the first Special Representative for Australian Agriculture in November 2021, Su has met with a diverse range of government officials and industry in Australia and abroad. Through her engagement with Australian industry and international colleagues, Su has supported Australia’s commitment to the rules-based multilateral trade system and to sustainable agriculture. She has also reinforced the importance of research, innovation and adoption and that there is no one-size-fits-all prescriptive approach to sustainable agriculture—we need to encourage practices that are tailored to the ecological, cultural and economic conditions of each economy.

Su has built relationships with like-minded partners in Europe, the US, New Zealand, South America, Japan and Singapore. She has also had the opportunity to promote and share some of the great Australian research and extension work being undertaken, through virtual platforms and fora.

The connections Su has formed will help us to partner with those who share Australia’s vision for practical sustainable agriculture, that allows farmers to innovate and expand their business without regulatory burden.

Through her role Su has also been able to highlight how agriculture production can positively contribute to global environment goals while still allowing free and open trade to ensure food security.

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 20 March 2023

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.