The group - which represents the NSW Murray Valley foodbowl - said solutions to risk of food security are overlooked even as the production of staple foods declines and the country becomes increasingly reliant on imports.
It is calling on consumers to understand the risks, and pressure governments in its submission to the National Food Security Strategy.
“Australia is facing strong headwinds on its national food security, with governments’ lack of coordinated action adding to rising costs of local food in the supply chain,” warns MRSG executive officer Shelley Scoullar.
“Australia’s food security, now and into the future, relies on a sustainable, affordable and diverse home-grown supply.
“Alarm bells have been ringing for more than two decades, but they have fallen on deaf ears in government.
“While governments frequently proclaim support for farmers with initiatives such as the food security strategy, at the same time their policy levers in water, planning and taxation, to name only a few key portfolio areas, are counterproductive, working in practice to squeeze farm and food manufacturing margins to the point of failure.”
MRSG comprises industry, community organisations and irrigation groups in the NSW Murray Valley of the Murray Darling Basin.
Its submission highlights how water policy in the Basin threatens Australia’s food security, and identifies the areas requiring focused and deep analysis of the water supply and affordability risks – areas that federal departments and agencies have so far neglected to take seriously, despite the red flags evident in the data available.
Mrs Scoullar said Australia is “flying blind” when it comes to understanding national food production, which underpins our national food security.
“Surprisingly, governments do not seem to understand the important role water plays in our food security, despite the fact we all know you cannot grow food without it.
“On the ground, we are watching production declines in staple foods such as rice, dairy, fruit and vegetables driven in part by water policy reducing availability and driving up costs.”
Mrs Scoullar said the MRSG submission refers to a number of studies which paint a very clear picture: Federal and state water recovery - past, present and future - poses a serious ongoing risk to national food security, with dairy, rice, fruit and vegetables particularly vulnerable.
Import substitution is already surging in these and other food staples, leaving Australia’s food security even more insecure in an unstable geopolitical and climate world.
“And while various solutions to effectively balance water supplies to protect food production have been presented to governments, they are continually ignored. If this current attitude prevails it will be to our nation’s peril,” Mrs Scoullar said.
She warned governments against placing too much emphasis on data which indicates the gross value of Australia’s agricultural production is growing, but ignores the real amount of food of different types being grown.
“The real data is the amount of food being produced by Australian farmers, especially product that is sent to our supermarkets.
“As it declines, which is no doubt happening in key areas, the cost goes up and future food security is under threat.
“This is an undeniable fact and cannot continue to be swept under the carpet.
“If Australia is serious about ensuring we protect our food security, rather than increasing our reliance on imports, water policy must become a key part of the discussions.”
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