Dr Peggy Schrobback

Food security and food system governance: An Australian perspective

Australia produces enough food to feed its population and remains a major agricultural exporter. However, recent disruptions caused by climate extremes, pandemics, geopolitical tensions, energy shocks, labour shortages, and supply chain failures have highlighted vulnerabilities across the broader food system. These challenges have expanded the national discussion on food security beyond issues of food availability, access, stability, utilisation, agency, and sustainability to include food system resilience, adaptive capacity, and governance.

Drawing on insights from the South East Queensland (SEQ) Food System Strategy, research on fossil fuel dependence and food system resilience, and a proposed framework for food sovereignty in Australia, this presentation explores alternative approaches to food system governance. A continuum of conceptual governance frameworks, ranging from food self-sufficiency and food system self-sufficiency to food sovereignty and autarky, will be presented. The framework highlights key trade-offs among efficiency, resilience, affordability, environmental sustainability, and strategic autonomy.

Particular attention is given to the concept of food sovereignty, including the roles of stakeholders, governance arrangements across multiple scales, and the collaboration required among food system actors to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity.

Although grounded in the Australian context, the framework has broader relevance for food-exporting nations facing similar challenges, including Aotearoa New Zealand. The presentation concludes by outlining how alternative food system governance frameworks, and the research needed to evaluate them, can inform Australia's emerging National Food Security Strategy and support policies that enhance long-term food system resilience.

Keywords: Food system governance; food security; food sovereignty; food system resilience; strategic autonomy; food system self-sufficiency; Australia.