Biosecurity - Australian Farm Institute

Growing our food and fibre future

Published 23 Nov 2020

As Australia looks to recover from the maelstrom of COVID-19, the nation will be more reliant on economic engines like agriculture than ever before. The gradual easing of restrictions and adaptation to the “new norm” means the nation is collectively getting back on track, but governments and industry must now…

February 2020 Insights

Published 1 Feb 2020

Over the past 30 years, Australian seafood industries have been devastated by a steady march of disease outbreaks, often with little or no warning. Each episode has been devastating, and all have starkly illustrated aquatic disease management’s primary challenge: the underwater world has no fences. Given the absence of effective…

Biosecurity Fisheries Global Livestock Markets Risk Social Licence Sustainability Trade

An offer from farmers to help Michelle Bridges.

Published 24 Oct 2016

Dear Michelle, you might recall I wrote to you back in 2014 in response to some comments you made about farmers who were being secretly filmed as they went about their daily work on pig and poultry farms. At that time the farmers were complaining about animal welfare activists secretly…

Animal Welfare Biosecurity

Will national free-range egg standards worsen hen welfare?

Published 19 Jun 2015

On Friday 12th of June, Australian Consumer Affairs Ministers agreed to direct officials to prepare a draft national standard on egg labelling for consideration by Ministers later this year to enhance consumer confidence and certainty around egg labelling. According to the statement, Government officials will consult with affected stakeholders and prepare…

Agriculture Biosecurity Food Livestock Policy Poultry

Realities of animal welfare getting lost in personalities and emotion

Published 16 Jun 2015

The four-page feature piece on Animals Australia CEO Lyn White in the Good Weekend supplement of the Fairfax weekend newspapers highlighted one of the major problems with debates on animal welfare in Australia. The focus on personalities and emotions diverts attention from objective information about real changes that are being…

Agriculture Animal Welfare Biosecurity Business Food

To TPP or not to TPP ?

Published 24 May 2015

Australia has had some recent success in negotiating new free trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China, three of the nations largest trading partners. The general consensus of analysts is that these agreements will deliver significant benefits, especially to Australian agricultural exporters, because they will reduce some of the tariffs…

Agriculture Biosecurity Business Markets Policy Trade

Ignorance is the greatest biosecurity risk factor

Published 18 May 2015

In the aftermath of the ‘war on terriers’ involving Johnny Depp’s dogs “Boo” and “Pistol” and Agriculture Minster Barnaby Joyce, Australian farmers should be very worried. The incident revealed that some Australian radio hosts are so ignorant of the issues surrounding biosecurity that they were prepared to lambast the Minister…

Agriculture Biosecurity Business Food

To improve farm animal welfare, forget the five freedoms.

Published 1 May 2015

For many animal welfare organisations in Australia, the ‘five freedoms’ are commonly used as the basis for determining what is, and what is not an acceptable farm practice from an animal welfare perspective. However, advances in animal welfare science since these were first expressed have effectively rendered the ‘five freedoms’…

Agriculture Animal Welfare Biosecurity Food

Australian Wagyu cattle labelled as Japanese and sell for $30,000

Published 15 Mar 2015

Australia Wagyu beef is selling in Japan at up to $30,000 a carcass, and consumers don’t even know it’s Australian. This could lead to the conclusion that there is little value in an ‘Australian’ brand, but there is a bit more to the story. Wagyu genetics were introduced into Australia…

Agriculture Beef Biosecurity Competition Markets

A case of misguided priorities

Published 19 Feb 2015

The fallout from the contaminated frozen berries issue continues to escalate, raising questions about Australian food labelling laws, quarantine and biosecurity standards, and ultimately the longer-term implications for Australia’s food processing and food retail sectors. It will bring a renewed focus on the role of Australia’s two major supermarket food…

Agriculture Biosecurity Business Competition

Contaminated berries highlight some major issues for Australian agriculture

Published 17 Feb 2015

The revelations over recent days that imported frozen berries appear to be the cause of hepatitis in a number of cases in Australia over the past week brings into focus two very important issues for Australian agriculture – country-of-origin food labelling and the brand image of Australian-grown products. Both provide…

Agriculture Biosecurity Competition Food Fruit Policy Trade

WA GM crop decision highlights the dangers of ignoring science in administering standards

Published 1 Jun 2014

Contrary to reports that the decision of the Western Australian Supreme Court in the Marsh vs Baxter GM crop contamination case represents a victory for GM crops and the end of organic farming in Australia, a close reading of the judgement suggests neither is correct. What the judgement does make…

Agriculture Biosecurity Chemicals Grain Markets

Tag: Biosecurity

Filter Options