Australian agriculture ministers have unveiled the first National Agricultural Traceability Strategy, which aims to safeguard and grow the country’s agriculture sector.
The Strategy was officially announced during the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Perth.
The 10-year Strategy will direct research, industry, and government investment to strengthen Australia’s existing strong systems, boost efficiency, and provide advantages to farmers.
It also contributes to the agriculture industry’s objective of becoming a $100 billion-a-year industry by 2030.
The National Agricultural Traceability Strategy was created in 2022/23 by collaborating with industry and government and a diverse variety of stakeholders along agricultural supply chains, from farmers to retailers.
The National Traceability Summit and Working Group Sessions, industry design group sessions, the Australian Agricultural Traceability Alliance Forum, and a public Have Your Say survey all contributed to its development.
“Increasingly, consumers and markets want to know where their food and fibre comes from, and that’s exactly what traceability systems provide,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said.
Minister Watt noted that the systems will also assist Australian farmers in adapting to changing trade ties, regulatory environments, biosecurity threats, and consumer preferences.
“A modern national traceability system is how we can prove Australia’s credentials in areas like biosecurity, food safety and sustainability, in order to gain a market advantage for our producers. It can help increase product value domestically and internationally and allows for produce movements to be tracked, in the event of a biosecurity outbreak,” the Minister stated.
Minister Watt also reported that “The Albanese Government is investing over $100 million into Australia’s agricultural traceability systems with $55 million invested already this year—an investment that will pay dividends through trade while helping to protect Australia from biosecurity incursions.”
