Australia's food security is under threat from the actions of multinational food processors, Australia's retail duopoly, 
the selloff of
Australian farmland to foreign companies and governments and the encroachment of mining. Many people can see the problem but the major political
parties seem incapable of responding. For a while the Liberal Party had a "Roadmap to Australian Food Security" which made some statements and
invited public comment. There were many good comments but their "roadmap" and public comments have since been taken off line. The comments that
were on the liberal party website can now be viewed by clicking on Food Security . If the
political system is incapable of responding citizen groups like Ausbuy and Goulburn Valley Food Co-operative can.
The economic threaat of the retail duopoly as explained by Dick Smith on the ABC's Lateline . There is no point having a 21st century defence force if we lose the capacity to feed ourselves.
Ausbuy beleives that Australia's capacity to feed itself is under threat as concerns rise about the availability of safe, affordable and responsibly produced foods. Our situation is deteriorating both on farm and in the supply chain. Research is critical to help us understand the influences and potential appropriate responses if Australia is to sustain control skills, communities and environment.
Australia currently has a surplus of grain and meat so there is probably not going to be a shortage of these, but horticultural products,
fruit and vegetables and in a different situation. These are both labour intensive industries which are impacted by the high wages caused by the
mining boom. For best nutritional value these products need to be fresh, that means grown close to the consumer, but we are importing an
increasing quantity of fruit and veg from overseas. There appears to be very little control over the production methods used in these countries.
While Australian farmers have to comply with tighter and tighter quality and chemical residue requirements, the same requirements are not imposed
in imported product. While the mining boom lasts Australia can afford to import food, but when it finishes, and it will at some time, will we be
able to afford to import food? When the mining boom finishes there could be thirty plus million of us standing around a bloody great hole saying
what are we going to do now? We will have destroyed our manufacturing and agricultural industries in the name of global free trade . 
Our highly productive grains industry is very dependent on fossil fuel based products (Nitrogen fertilizer and chemicals) and declining reserves of Phosphate and Potassium. This production system could collapse as the price of these inputs increase, in which case pure economics will drive a return to organic farming practices .
Our city based decision makers haven't been short of food for 3 generations, but future food security can't be taken for granted. With much more money to be made from mining why would young people go into farming and be treated like second class citizens? We have just seen city interests destroy an economically and environmentally sustainable rural industry at the stroke of a pen (live cattle trade).
It is the hope of the creator of this site that the internet and agritourism can be used to improve the communication between farmers and eaters for a better outcome for both.