Food that's good for people and nature is ACF's new campaign, focused on tackling the nature impacts of Australia's food system. Here's some further information on the campaign and your questions answered.
What is the food system and how is it broken?
The food system involves all activities from production, processing, transport, and consumption that deliver food to our tables. Our food system in Australia is broken because the way we grow food is a major cause of nature destruction, climate change, deforestation and habitat destruction, pollution and food waste. Due to the pressures of big supermarkets, like Coles and Woolworths, and fast-food chains, farmers are pushed to produce more for less, which means nature often pays the price.
The beef industry has the largest impact on nature and climate, with most of the Australian bush and forest bulldozed cleared for more land for cattle grazing. The Queensland Government recently found 88% of statewide land clearing was for pasture (sheep and cattle) between 2021-22.
While most farmers are good land managers, the bulldozing of nature by a minority of beef producers is the reason Australia is a global deforestation hotspot. Most of the beef is exported or sold in our major supermarkets and fast-food outlets and the pressures from these major companies means more destruction takes place all in the name of raising profits.
You can read more about the negative impacts of our food system here.
Who are the big players involved in Australia’s food system?
The Australian food industry is highly concentrated, with Coles and Woolworths and a handful of big food companies the main link between farmers and consumers, which has given them a huge amount of power in the broken food system. Due to their powerful position, ACF is calling on the two major supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, to commit to selling only deforestation-free beef, stop the destruction of ecosystems, and support farmers that are producing food while protecting and restoring nature on their land.
Farmers play a key role in the way their land is managed, and they’re often at the mercy of companies purchasing their crops or livestock who demand cheaper or more competitive deals.
Banks play a big role in financing and investing in companies that are good for nature, providing the loans to farmers and investing in food companies that enable them to provide the food that we eat.
The Federal government is also responsible for implementing laws and policies that ensure Australia’s food system is fair and sustainable for future generations.
There is already a groundswell of sustainable and regenerative farmers, innovative food companies, and conscientious consumers leading the way. Now we need the big supermarkets to step up and have better policies and practices to ensure the food we buy isn’t destroying nature.
How can we help as individuals?
You can also help by raising your voice to demand Australia’s biggest supermarkets commit to ending deforestation in their supply chains and support farmers to protect and restore nature.
By taking small actions that reduce your ecological footprint, you'll also be helping to protect nature in nature. One way to do this is by decreasing your food waste. If we wasted less food, we’d need less land, less water and fewer chemicals and fertilisers to produce enough food to feed everyone. Wasted food that ends up in landfill also emits large quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The research is also pretty clear that at a global scale we need a shift to more plant-based diets, so if you eat a lot of meat, you could try putting more vegetables on your menu.
If you’re wanting to be more involved, you can also join our deforestation action group.
What are the impacts of pesticides and chemicals in the food system?
Many harmful chemicals are used in farming practices to increase yields to keep up with the demands of supermarkets and fast-food chains. These chemicals can do harm to insects and native species, enter waterways and damage soils which are critical for growing food and storing carbon. They can even be found on the food we buy in supermarkets and can negatively affect the health of farmers.
ACF advocates for a reduction of harmful agrochemical use, including synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and has called on the Federal government to set a target to reduce the risk and impacts from pesticides and hazardous chemical use to levels that are not harmful to nature, in line with the Global Biodiversity Framework. ACF is also calling on Australia’s biggest food companies to set targets to reduce chemical use and improve soil health along their agricultural value chains.
What about plant-based diets or veganism as alternatives?
We all rely on food to survive and thrive. Food is a big part of our daily life. It's not just something we need, it's something we love. To achieve a sustainable food system will require a range of changes, from cutting food waste to changing diets, and adopting new nature and farmer-friendly farming practices. The greatest responsibility for making those changes lies with the big food companies and governments.
ACF agrees that choosing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is a valid and important response to the climate and nature crisis, but not the only valid response. We encourage everyone to shift to a more plant-based diet, which all the evidence suggests is good for nature and human health, and for those who do eat meat and dairy to make choices that are as good as possible for nature.
That’s why we’re calling on the big supermarkets to commit to selling only deforestation-free beef, stop the destruction of ecosystems, and support farmers that are producing food while protecting and restoring nature on their land so we can feel confident that the beef we’re buying hasn’t destroyed the homes of endangered species like the koala and greater glider.
