National Food Council meets to help shape Australia's food security future

Members of Australia’s newly appointed National Food Council have met for the first time in Canberra today, a key step to progressing the Albanese Labor Government’s National Food Security Strategy, Feeding Australia.   

The Council will play an advisory role to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on the development of Feeding Australia. 

The meeting included a briefing from ABARES on the economic drivers of food insecurity and discussion on the future scope of the National Food Security Strategy. 

Members reviewed stakeholder feedback and identified priority areas to guide the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s upcoming co-design and consultation process, which will take place in the first half of 2026. 

Feeding Australia will help to boost the security and supply chain resilience of agriculture and food production systems in Australia.   

Australia's agriculture production is forecast to reach a record value of almost $100 billion this financial year. 

While Australia has a world class food system, feeding people both at home and abroad, supported by strict food safety and biosecurity measures, we cannot afford to be complacent, or to ignore the new and emerging challenges facing our food and supply chains. 

The membership of the council reflects the diversity and complexity of Australia’s food system, bringing together representatives with expertise from small-scale farming, large-scale primary production and processing, innovation and supply chains to public health and nutrition, including Aboriginal health.   

The council’s appointment followed the first stage of public consultation on the National Food Security Strategy, a discussion paper, which received more than 400 submissions from stakeholder groups across the food system.  

Stakeholders shared a wide range of views on the challenges and opportunities shaping Australia’s food security.  

Early themes identified in the consultation included nutritional security, producer productivity, supply chain resilience and market access, and climate change and ecological stewardship.  

These submissions, along with a summary of what was heard, have now been published, and further consultation with stakeholders from across the food system will take place in 2026 to inform and develop the strategy.  

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:   

“Australia has a world class food system, but we know the future brings new threats and challenges to this system.  

“Feeding Australia, guided by the advice from our National Food Council, will enable us improve food security across our supply chains, no matter what the future brings. 

“That’s why today’s meeting was so critical – I look forward to working with the Council as our Government delivers on our promise to develop a new national food security strategy. 

"Every Australian has a stake in our food future and community consultation on Feeding Australia will be ongoing as the strategy is developed.  

“I encourage everyone with an interest in our food system to keep an eye out for these opportunities in 2026.”