6 February 2024. Michael Guerin, AgForce CEO.
For generations now, Australians have enjoyed something much of the rest of the world envies. That is, fresh, locally grown, and healthy food that is available seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Some would argue we have come to take that for granted for some time now. Easy enough to do I guess, given it has always ‘just been there’.
Meanwhile, producers of this food we take for granted have slowly but surely become subject to more and more layers of regulations and rules. If that trajectory continues it’s only a matter of time before what we have all taken for granted, disappears. In other words, we become food insecure.
We are now at a critical point, if it has not been for some time, where disrupting this progression is critical. An intervention that allows all Australians into the conversation that is so vital to our collective futures.
National Farmers Federation (NFF) have started an important piece of this conversation through the Keep Farmers Farming campaign – https://keepfarmersfarming.org.au/ It is important all Australians are engaged in this discussion and understand what’s at stake.
To do this, we need more direct conversations that provide specific examples of where a change in direction is urgently needed. AgForce will launch one of these next week, augmenting the NFF’s important work.
Research clearly shows that the broader Australian population wants to hear from us and trusts our ability to produce quality food alongside taking good care of our landscapes and animals. Our opportunity now is to honour that trust, alongside our care for animals and the natural environment, to engage with all Australians more boldly and deliberately.
So, as we at AgForce enter our 25th year of growing and strengthening a united voice for producers and industry across Queensland, it’s time for us to use that strength to amplify this important dialogue.
These conversations will culminate in our industry conference that AgForce will host at the EKKA grounds in Brisbane, just four weeks out from our State Election in October this year.
