Climate crisis places Australia’s food supply at risk

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Farmers’ report warns global heating “amplifies risks all the way through the supply chain, from farm to warehouse to supermarket shelves.” The report titled Fork in the road: impacts of climate change on our food supply, was released early March, by Farmers for Climate Action. It anticipates that empty supermarket shelves will become more frequent, as the risk of food shortages following extreme weather events is intensified, putting supply chains in peril. This report was prepared before the recent flooding crisis in Queensland and New South Wales resulted in retail food shortages.

Stephen Bartos, author, and expert in food resilience, concluded logistics chains were highly vigorous but would be at risk should two or more devastating events occur simultaneously. The report showed “there is great fragility in the food supply chain than had previously been thought due to the impact of climate change.” Australians take for granted that food will always be available. “Climate change disrupts this,” Bartos said.

The report states the flow on effect from food shortages would be increased produce prices and increased costs of insurance and lending. It recommended increasing the diversity of food chains, with multiple nodes and connections, would reduce some risk and government investment in more numerous and varied transport connections was crucial. Also shorter supply chains would be able to respond quickly to shortages.