Climate change and biosecurity concerns pose the greatest threat to Australia's food security and is pushing up food prices, according to farming groups.
A parliamentary inquiry into strengthening and safeguarding Australia's food security finished in Canberra on Wednesday, hearing from dozens of organisations on issues facing food production, farming costs, supply chain distribution, and the threat of climate change.
According to the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia is one of the most food secure countries in the world, ranking 12th per capita for income.
However, Fiona Davis from Farmers for Climate Action said the last year had shown the fragility of the country's supply.
"In the last 12 months we have seen floods wipe out key supply chains and crops, resulting in us paying $11 for lettuce. So while we will have enough food, getting that to people is difficult," she said.
Ms David said ultimately consumers would bear the brunt of climate change effects on agriculture.
"As Australia heats up these impacts will grow and consumers are ultimately going to pay more for food," she said.
"There will be more lost food, less grass for farmers' livestock to eat, less water, and less ways to transport animals due to extreme heat.
"All of these costs will need to be passed on."
Earlier this month the Bureau of Meteorology declared an El Niño watch, increasing the possibility of hot, dry weather for 2023.
Brendon O'Keefe from New South Wales Farmers said the drought between 2017 and 2019 put considerable strain on the country's food supply.
"We have seen during droughts in previous years, particularly with grains, that we only produce just enough to feed us domestically or we have been forced to import," he said.
"We can see that climate change leads to conditions which threaten our food security."
Supermarket supply issues
Throughout the pandemic, supermarket chains experienced mass shortages brought about by COVID-19 infections crippling the supply chain network.
In 2022 and early 2023, record flooding saw rural communities across the country unable to access or resupply food and other necessities.
The chief executive officer of the National Rural Women's Coalition, Keli McDonald, said the recent challenges had exposed the flaws in the transport network.
"What we are seeing in rural Australia is the big chain supermarkets deliver on supply, so they don't have warehouses at the back of the shops where they have three or even a week's worth of food," she said.
"Trucks are coming in every second day to replenish. When those truck lines are broken as we saw in COVID, the bushfires, and the floods, the shelves go empty."
Ms McDonald said the breakdown of the supply chain often had a disproportionate impact on rural women.
"We know that it affects women more than anyone else because women will often go without meals before they'll let their partner or child," she said.
Pest and disease concerns
The recent flooding created the ideal conditions for pest populations, such as feral pigs and deer, to explode.
Ms McDonald said they had seen the effects of this on their property near Gunnedah.
"The problem with feral pigs is not only are they spreaders of disease, both to humans and animals, but the cost of the produce they are eating," she said.
"Our farm alone last year had $40,000 of sorghum eaten. We are seeing these kinds of pressures all over the country."
Mr O'Keefe said a change in attitude towards threats of disease from pests is required from all levels of government.
"We have a biosecurity system that is quite reactive rather than having a sustainable funding source," she said.
"This leaves us open to threats which could decimate our agricultural industries and greatly reduce supply."
