City Research Online

Abstract

Food and sustainability have received much public attention in the last couple of years. Much of this has been driven by the world oil crises (peak oil); changes in climate and natural disasters and related economic global dilemmas (see Lang and Heasman, 2004; Public Health Association of Australia 2009: SIGNAL 2000). Australia has of course been a net importer of food, producing more than enough for its needs and exporting some. It is important to realise that the food system is driven by oil, oil to produce fertilizers, oil to work on the farm, oil to transport food around the country. This has led to an increase in costs at all levels and parts of the food system. In 2008 when the price of wheat had increased threefold for Australian farmers they were still having to factor in the higher costs of oil at all these stages not to mention the next year’s increases. So should Australians be worried? A country that still (even with the igures in decline) produces a surplus of food is obviously still in a strong position. But there is a crisis emerging and now is the time to tackle that crisis.

Publication Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Healthcare Services Research & Management > Food Policy

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