National Pillar
Agriculture & Food Security
Australian Farmers. Secure Food. A Stronger Australia.
(PSUA) Pursue Australia supports Australian farmers, fishers and food producers through research into domestic food security, fair markets, productive land, water access, agricultural costs and government decisions affecting our food supply.
Our Australia First approach prioritises Australia's ability to feed its own people while supporting profitable farming, responsible exports and long-term agricultural independence.
Too many Australians are Surviving yet should be Thriving.
Current Investigations & Priorities
Australian Domestic Food Security & Supply
Investigating whether Australia maintains sufficient, reliable and affordable domestic food supplies while continuing to support agricultural exports.
Examine domestic availability, imports, exports, distribution, processing, emergency reserves and Australian households' access to nutritious food.
Australian Farmers, Producers & Fair Markets
Examining farmgate prices, supermarket purchasing practices, wholesale arrangements, producer contracts, bulk-buying advantages, retail markups and profitability.
Research Australian-first purchasing, fair producer returns, excessive profit-taking and the sustainability of Australian farming businesses.
Protecting Productive Agricultural Land
Investigating farmland loss and conversion through urban expansion, industrial developments, renewable energy projects, transmission infrastructure and competing land uses.
Include discounted council land sales, independent valuations, ownership, enforceable development commitments, resale safeguards, consultation, compensation and protection of culturally significant, historic and environmentally protected sites.
Water Security & Agricultural Access
Examining irrigation allocations, water availability, pricing, storage, distribution infrastructure, drought resilience and the reliable delivery of water to farms, livestock, regional communities and essential services.
Preventing Agricultural & Food Waste
Investigating avoidable food losses during harvesting, grading, processing, storage, transport, wholesale and retail.
Examine unnecessary cosmetic produce rejections, supermarket return practices, disposal costs and whether otherwise suitable Australian food is being wasted.
Net Zero Policies & Agricultural Impacts
Examining the financial, operational and environmental consequences of Net Zero and energy-transition policies for Australian farmers.
Include energy and fuel costs, machinery, fertiliser, emissions requirements, livestock management, agricultural land conversion, renewable infrastructure, waste, recycling, decommissioning and land restoration.
Production Costs, Processing & Supply-Chain Resilience
Investigating fuel, electricity, fertiliser, equipment, labour, insurance, freight, refrigeration, storage, domestic food processing and distribution.
Examine the effects on farm viability, regional employment, consumer prices and overseas supply-chain dependence.
Biosecurity, Livestock & Food Safety
Examining agricultural biosecurity, animal and crop disease risks, imported food and agricultural products, food safety, livestock management, fisheries, agricultural standards and protection of domestic production.
Emergency Food Preparedness & Regional Resilience
Investigating emergency food reserves, agricultural disaster preparedness, water and electricity continuity, transport access, emergency distribution, supply-chain disruptions and recovery during droughts, floods, bushfires and other national emergencies.
Agricultural Independence, Ownership & Government Accountability
Examining Australian-owned agricultural enterprises, family farms, foreign ownership of agricultural land and water interests, domestic processing, agricultural workforce development, government funding, policy commitments and measurable outcomes for regional communities.
Australian Domestic Food Security & Supply
Feeding Our Nation While Supporting Exports
Australia is a major agricultural and food-exporting nation. However, substantial food production and exports do not automatically guarantee that Australian households can access affordable, nutritious food.
(PSUA) Pursue Australia believes Australia's domestic food security must remain a national priority alongside profitable agricultural export industries.
Australian farmers, fishers and food producers should be able to operate sustainable businesses, access international markets and contribute to Australia's economy.
At the same time, Australian communities should not experience avoidable food insecurity while Australian-produced food is being exported overseas.
PSUA supports investigating practical measures to ensure sufficient Australian-produced food remains reliably and affordably available to meet domestic needs before surplus production is prioritised for export.
Research includes:
- Domestic food production compared with Australian consumption requirements.
- Food availability and affordability across metropolitan, regional and remote communities.
- Australian food exports, imports and domestic supply arrangements.
- Domestic processing, storage, refrigeration and transport capacity.
- Emergency food reserves and preparedness for major supply disruptions.
- Farmgate, wholesale and retail pricing.
- Food waste, distribution failures and their contribution to food insecurity.
Any proposed domestic supply safeguards must be lawful, practical and developed with Australian producers without unnecessarily undermining farm viability or established export markets. Domestic supply safeguards and Australian-first supermarket purchasing are separate but related policy proposals. A nation capable of feeding others must also ensure it can feed its own people.
Cross-Pillar Research Brief
Domestic food security also depends on transport and distribution networks examined through our National Infrastructure Pillar, population demand examined through our Population & Capacity Pillar, and strategic preparedness examined through our National Strategic Assets Pillar.
Australian Farmers, Producers & Fair Market Conditions
Australian farmers and primary producers carry substantial financial risks associated with land, livestock, water, labour, fuel, machinery, fertiliser, insurance, weather events and changing market conditions. PSUA investigates whether supermarket purchasing practices, supply-chain arrangements, market concentration and government policies allow Australian farmers to receive fair financial returns.
Australian Farmers First — Supermarket Purchasing
PSUA proposes investigating an Australian Farmers First purchasing framework that prioritises Australian-grown and Australian-produced food wherever suitable domestic supply is available.
Major supermarkets should be required to demonstrate fair consideration of available Australian produce before sourcing equivalent imported products.
The proposal must recognise legitimate supply shortages, seasonal availability, food safety requirements and practical trading obligations.
Fair Produce Standards & Cosmetic Rejections
Supermarkets serving everyday Australian households should not impose unnecessary appearance requirements that cause safe, fresh and otherwise marketable food to be rejected or returned to farmers.
PSUA proposes examining enforceable standards preventing arbitrary cosmetic rejection of produce solely because of shape, size or appearance. Legitimate food safety, freshness, spoilage, damage, handling and functional quality requirements must remain protected.
Research must examine supermarket grading and purchasing specifications; produce rejected, downgraded or returned for cosmetic reasons; rejection costs, return freight and disposal expenses; whether costs are unfairly transferred to farmers; fair payment protections; proportionate penalties for breaches of future enforceable standards; and selling naturally varied produce through ordinary supermarket channels.
Restaurants and specialised food businesses may have legitimate presentation or preparation requirements. Everyday supermarkets should not automatically impose comparable specialised standards where they provide no meaningful consumer benefit.
Australian farmers should not carry the financial burden of perfectly good food being rejected simply because it does not look a particular way.
Fair Food Pricing — Markup Monitoring & Producer Profit Returns
PSUA proposes investigating a combined markup-monitoring and profit-based repayment framework.
The framework would monitor food supply-chain markups, identify potentially excessive pricing and assess actual business profits after allowing independently verified operating expenses and reasonable commercial returns.
Where a future lawful framework establishes that profits exceed an independently determined threshold, PSUA proposes mechanisms for returning verified excess amounts to eligible originating Australian farmers and producers by the end of the applicable financial or tax year.
Research must consider farmgate, wholesale, distribution and retail prices; gross markup, gross margin, operating margin and net profit; legitimate freight, refrigeration, staffing, rent, spoilage and operating expenses; fair profit thresholds for different products and business models; corporate groups, related-party transactions and potential cost shifting; independent auditing, oversight, enforcement and penalties; practical identification of originating producers and allocation of repayments; protections for smaller Australian-owned retailers and independent grocery businesses; and effects on competition, food affordability and producer viability.
This is a PSUA policy proposal requiring legal and economic feasibility assessment. No specific profit threshold, repayment formula or enforcement authority has yet been approved. The objective is not to prevent businesses from earning fair profits. It is to investigate excessive profit-taking while protecting farmers and consumers.
Historical Investigations & Supermarket Comparisons
PSUA examines approximately 30 years of relevant parliamentary inquiries, ACCC investigations, agricultural industry reports and other official findings to identify recurring issues in food pricing and producer remuneration.
Research also considers publicly available corporate financial statements and taxation disclosures. Taxation figures alone must not be presented as proof of product-level profitability or price gouging.
Comparisons include different retail models: Woolworths and Coles (major supermarket chains); ALDI (discount supermarket operations); IGA and FoodWorks (wholesale-supported independent retail models); Drakes (independent supermarket operations); and smaller independent supermarkets and grocery stores.
Compare equivalent products, regions and time periods where possible. Account for purchasing scale, business structure, freight, staffing, property costs and regional conditions. Do not describe the complete 30-year comparison as finished research. Refer accurately to ACCC inquiries, parliamentary inquiries and Royal Commissions where applicable.
Australian Farmers' Voices — Firsthand Industry Experiences
PSUA recognises that meaningful agricultural research must include the experiences of Australians who grow, raise and produce our nation's food.
Alongside official investigations and financial evidence, PSUA seeks voluntary firsthand contributions from crop growers, fruit and vegetable farmers, cattle and sheep producers, dairy farmers, poultry producers, livestock suppliers, fishers and other primary producers.
Research includes experiences of farmgate prices and retail price differences; supermarket contracts, grading and rejected produce; bulk purchasing and bargaining power; fuel, electricity, water, machinery, feed, fertiliser and insurance costs; meat processing, livestock markets and distribution; Net Zero and environmental policy impacts; and agricultural emergencies and government assistance.
Individual accounts provide valuable insight but must not be represented as the experience of every farmer. Distinguish firsthand reports from independently verified findings. Protect participant confidentiality where requested and obtain permission before publishing identifiable accounts.
Australian farmers should not be spoken about without being given the opportunity to speak for themselves.
Cross-Pillar Research Brief
The wider consequences of food pricing, taxation, business costs, competition and market regulation connect with our Workforce & Manufacturing Pillar.
Agricultural Land, Water & Ownership
Protecting Productive Agricultural Land
PSUA investigates decisions that may reduce Australia's productive agricultural capacity through urban expansion, industrial development, renewable energy projects, transmission corridors and competing land uses.
Research considers agricultural land classifications, productivity, planning decisions, environmental impacts, consultation, compensation and long-term food production.
Local Government Land Sales & Discounted Transfers
PSUA examines local government land sales, discounted transfers, leases, rezoning decisions and development agreements to determine whether they deliver genuine and measurable community benefits.
Investigations include independent land valuations and reasons for discounted transactions; council decision-making, consultation and transparency; purchaser ownership and potential conflicts of interest; agricultural productivity and existing heritage, cultural or environmental protections; enforceable development commitments and milestones; local employment, infrastructure and public benefits; resale restrictions, land flipping and protections against private windfall gains; and whether promised community benefits are delivered.
Publicly held land should not be discounted or transferred without transparent justification, appropriate safeguards and demonstrable community value. Legitimate public-interest discounts may be appropriate when their benefits are transparent, enforceable and independently assessable.
Existing Greater Shepparton and Mooroopna land-sale concerns may be referenced as ongoing area-level research, without presenting unverified allegations as established misconduct.
Water Security — Farms, Livestock & Communities
Water security concerns how water is stored, allocated, transported, maintained and delivered, not simply the quantity available.
PSUA investigates irrigation allocations, pricing and delivery reliability; water availability for livestock and agricultural production; safe and affordable water access for regional households and essential services; dams, reservoirs, irrigation channels, pipelines and pumping systems; infrastructure maintenance and government investment; competing agricultural, residential, industrial and environmental demands; drought, floods, contamination and interruptions; and whether population growth and new developments are supported by sufficient water capacity.
Australia cannot maintain reliable food production or thriving communities without dependable water access and infrastructure.
Cross-Pillar Research Brief
Water and land connect with our National Infrastructure Pillar for major water networks, Housing & Infrastructure Pillar for development-related services, Population & Capacity Pillar for demand and growth, National Strategic Assets Pillar for strategic water resources, and Medical & Healthcare Pillar for safe water and public health.
Agricultural Waste, Food Standards & Supply Chains
PSUA investigates preventable food losses from agricultural production through to retail and household access. This includes harvesting, grading, packaging, processing, storage, refrigeration, transport, wholesale purchasing, supermarket rejections and distribution failures.
Research examines whether edible Australian food is unnecessarily discarded because of commercial presentation requirements, inefficient logistics, insufficient processing capacity or avoidable regulatory barriers. PSUA supports practical waste reduction while maintaining legitimate food safety standards.
Domestic Processing & Supply-Chain Resilience
Examine Australian-owned processing facilities, abattoirs, cold storage, food manufacturing, freight services and distribution networks.
Investigate whether Australian producers and regional communities are disadvantaged by inadequate domestic processing, long transport distances, high costs or overseas dependence.
Food Safety & Biosecurity
Preserve appropriate food safety standards while investigating imported food requirements, agricultural disease risks, livestock health, crop protection and domestic production safeguards.
Cross-Pillar Research Brief
Domestic processing and supply-chain resilience connect with our Workforce & Manufacturing Pillar and National Infrastructure Pillar.
Net Zero, Green Steel & Agricultural Impacts
PSUA's Net Zero Policy Position
PSUA examines environmental policies against their full consequences rather than emissions targets alone. Environmental decisions must also be assessed against agricultural productivity, food affordability, land use, regional employment, infrastructure, resource consumption and waste.
PSUA challenges measures where credible evidence establishes disproportionate costs, avoidable waste, productive farmland loss or harm to Australia's food-producing capacity. Transparent cost-benefit assessments, meaningful consultation, practical alternatives and independent public accountability are essential.
Financial Effects on Australian Farmers
Investigate the consequences of energy-transition policies for agricultural operating budgets, including electricity and irrigation pumping costs; fuel, freight and machinery; fertiliser, feed and agricultural inputs; equipment replacement and maintenance; insurance and landholder liabilities; and farm viability and consumer food prices.
Examine actual policy-related cost changes rather than attributing every increase in farm expenses to Net Zero.
Renewable Infrastructure, Land Impacts & Restoration
Investigate the conversion of agricultural land for wind, solar, battery, transmission and hydrogen developments. Research must include vegetation clearing and habitat disturbance; soil condition and agricultural productivity; water consumption and competing resource demands; equipment lifespan, maintenance and replacement; actual recyclability and available recycling capacity; waste disposal and decommissioning costs; land restoration obligations and financial guarantees; landholder compensation and long-term liabilities; and full lifecycle environmental and economic assessments.
Do not claim all renewable energy equipment is non-recyclable. Assess actual materials, technologies, recycling processes, disposal requirements and lifecycle costs. An energy project should not automatically be considered environmentally responsible solely because it is classified as renewable or contributes to a Net Zero target.
Green Steel, Hydrogen & National Preparedness
PSUA's wider National Civil Preparedness and Resilience research has raised questions about proposed industrial transitions involving green steel, hydrogen facilities, Australian steelmaking capacity, forestry, water resources and workforce arrangements.
Areas requiring further project-specific verification include proposed changes to Australian steel production capacity; hydrogen and associated energy infrastructure; potential forestry clearing and productive land impacts; water requirements and environmental approvals; Australian employment opportunities and proposed international workforce arrangements; and national manufacturing independence and emergency preparedness.
These are research concerns. Do not present proposed developments, production reductions, workforce arrangements or land-clearing impacts as verified outcomes without project-specific evidence.
Cross-Pillar Research Brief
Net Zero and industrial transition research connects with our Workforce & Manufacturing Pillar, National Infrastructure Pillar, National Strategic Assets Pillar and Population & Capacity Pillar.
Biosecurity, Food Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Australia's food security depends on maintaining agricultural production and distribution during ordinary conditions and emergencies. PSUA examines agricultural and food-system preparedness for droughts, floods, bushfires, animal and crop diseases, transport disruptions, electricity failures and water interruptions.
Research includes:
- Emergency food reserves and storage.
- Domestic processing and alternative supply arrangements.
- Livestock welfare and agricultural disease response.
- Crop protection and biosecurity.
- Water and electricity continuity.
- Regional road, rail and freight access.
- Food distribution to isolated communities.
- Agricultural disaster recovery and producer assistance.
- Government emergency planning, funding and accountability.
Where relevant, this work connects with PSUA's National Civil Preparedness and Resilience research. Do not claim that government emergency arrangements are absent or ineffective without verified evidence.
The Wider Effects of Agriculture & Food Security Decisions
Government decisions affecting agriculture often have consequences across multiple sectors.
Water allocation and infrastructure decisions can affect farms, regional households, public health, housing development and essential services.
Net Zero infrastructure decisions can affect agricultural land, forestry, energy costs, manufacturing, employment and strategic resources.
Supermarket purchasing practices can affect farm viability, food waste, household affordability and regional economies.
Discounted council land sales can affect agricultural productivity, public assets, housing development and long-term community value.
PSUA examines these interconnected consequences so agricultural policy is not assessed in isolation.
Government Commitments: Promises vs Delivery
PSUA examines whether agricultural programs, infrastructure funding, environmental initiatives, regulatory commitments and government announcements produce measurable benefits for Australian farmers and communities.
Research compares:
- Announced funding with actual expenditure.
- Promised infrastructure with completed and operational projects.
- Agricultural assistance with documented producer outcomes.
- Food security commitments with domestic supply and affordability.
- Environmental approvals with actual land, water and waste consequences.
- Public land transactions with delivered community benefits.
- Parliamentary and regulatory recommendations with implementation.
Clearly distinguish announcements, proposed measures, funding approvals, commenced projects, completed works and independently verified outcomes. Do not invent government failures, figures or completed PSUA findings.
Contribute to Agriculture & Food Security Research
Strong Producers. Secure Food. A Stronger Australia.
Australian farmers, fishers, livestock producers, agricultural workers, processors, transport operators, independent retailers and regional communities hold valuable firsthand knowledge.
PSUA welcomes documented experiences, evidence, practical recommendations and constructive questions about agriculture, food security, fair markets, water access, land protection, Net Zero impacts and regional resilience.
Contributions may inform future research, public submissions, government accountability work and community consultation. Participation is voluntary, and information must be appropriately assessed before publication as verified evidence.
Every Voice Counts.