David Sivyer

Food and Agriculture Lead

As a fifth-generation beef farmer and someone who spent the election period navigating the policy maze around sustainable agriculture, what was striking about this election was what wasn’t discussed.

Food security, the future of farming and genuine sustainability measures barely rated a mention.

For all the noise around cost-of-living pressures, there was very little discussion about the fundamental issue of where our food comes from and how to better support the farmers who produce it.

That is part of my role at the Australian Conservation Foundation where I regularly speak to farmers about how they can be assisted to produce food that’s good for people and nature.

Overwhelmingly I hear there needs to be a more tailored system of support.

From my own experience on the farm and my current advocacy role at ACF, I see firsthand the incredible strides farmers are making towards sustainability. They embrace regenerative practices, restore biodiversity, and invest in soil health—all critical steps in ensuring our food system remains viable in a rapidly changing climate.

But the transition to nature‑positive farming carries upfront costs, demands new skills and can be slowed by regulation.

On our own farm near Maitland, NSW, when we shifted a paddock from monoculture ryegrass to a diverse multi‑species cover‑crop mix, yields dipped for two seasons, and the learning curve was steep before soil health and productivity rebounded—a risk many producers couldn’t shoulder alone without policy support.

Plenty of producers I meet are innovating at significant personal expense—from trialling multi‑species cover crops to fencing waterways and planting shelterbelts—often driven by a deep responsibility to land and community, yet without adequate policy support.

Globally, we saw what happened when food security wasn’t prioritised—supply shocks from the Ukraine grain crisis, climate‑driven crop failures and the increasingly erratic droughts that scientists warn will hit Australia harder. Without forward‑looking policy, our farmers will be asked to compete in a premium export market while wearing the full cost of climate adaptation themselves.

Fortunately, practical levers exist. First, fairly reward farmers for ecosystem services. Healthy soils store carbon, hold water and boost biodiversity—benefits recognised in pilot schemes yet still out of reach for most producers. A national natural-capital payment, co-designed with farmers and backed by public funds, would send a clear signal.

Second, rebuild extension and farmer-led Research and Development. A Net-Zero Agriculture plan with regional advisers, First Nations partners and innovation hubs can drive this, yet federal agronomy funding is 18 % below 2020—just when growers need guidance to meet sustainability standards and cut fertiliser and diesel use.

Third, rebalance market power. Two supermarkets hold 65 % of grocery sales, and four processors dominate beef. Australian Food Sovereignty Alliances processor-access campaign shows the result: a grazier who restores creeks and cuts chemicals still sees her cattle blended with deforestation beef. Without differentiation, stewardship goes unpaid. Mandating deforestation-free sourcing and transparent, nature-positive pricing would give farmers real options and fair returns.

Together, these levers help farmers restore natural capital, reduce exposure to volatile inputs and stay ahead of fast-moving buyers requirements. The European Union Deforestation Regulation, taking effect this December, alongside 2025 deforestation-free commitments from the biggest commercial buyers like Woolworths, ALDI and soon, we are told, Coles, means the writing is on the wall from a market access perspective. Meanwhile international behemoth McDonald’s has pledged to source only deforestation-free beef within this decade. Aligning our policy signals with these regulatory and corporate commitments keeps Australian producers on the front foot.

Both major parties pledged national food‑security strategies during the campaign—Labor’s Feeding Australia plan announced in early March, and the Coalition’s plan unveiled after pre-polling had begun - but neither clearly articulated how sustainability and climate resilience would underpin these strategies.

This election should have been a pivotal moment for food security. The new Parliament now has a narrow window to prove it understands the stakes. Embedding long promised stewardship payments for farmers who protect and restore nature in the next Budget, lifting extension funding, and legislating deforestation‑free supply chains would be a start.

It’s time policymakers stopped treating sustainable agriculture as an optional extra. Farmers are ready to deliver healthier soils, lower emissions and safe, affordable food. What they need in return is certainty that policy will keep pace with their ambition.

David Sivyer is the Australian Conservation Foundation’s food and agriculture advocacy lead

This piece was published in the Newcastle Herald