Too many foodies, not enough food producers

More and more consumers are starting to question where and how their food was produced as the locavore and slow food movements gain traction in the mainstream. Conversely, fewer and fewer young Australians are entering the food production industry, either as primary producers or in the processing and export sectors.

Some industry experts are concerned that all this increased awareness of food miles and free-range stocking densities could be for naught if there’s no-one left to produce food in Australia.

“Exact figures on the employment shortfall are hard to calculate, but in agriculture alone, it has been shown that while there have been only around 700 graduates per year Australia-wide in recent years, job advertisements have suggested a demand for approximately 4500 tertiary qualified graduates per annum,” said Dr Brian Jones from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Agriculture and Environment.

“Similar shortfalls exist for qualified people in other parts of the industry. We absolutely cannot take advantage of the opportunities for the industry if we don’t develop strategies to address this key issue.”

Our agricultural sector produces just 3% of GDP, but the value-adding process post-farm gate means that food processing and agricultural production sectors together account for 12% of GDP.

Both industry and government are worried that too few people are choosing food production as a career.

“More Australians are moving into cities and the production and supply chains mean we give little thought to food production. Out of sight, out of mind is one of the reasons that too few people are moving into careers in this sector,” Dr Jones said.

“But fortunately, Australians are also increasingly ‘foodies’, with sophisticated tastes. One of the outcomes of this is that people are starting to once again question how the food got to our plates. The reality though is that an increasingly skilled workforce is needed to keep good food on our tables and there is currently an unsustainable shortfall.”

The University of Sydney is offering a new Bachelor of Food and Agribusiness degree in 2014 to encourage young people back into the food production industry.

“This is a great time for young people in the industry, when real innovation is not only possible, but essential. In order to capture the emerging opportunities, we need a new generation of food innovators and entrepreneurs in Australia,” said Dr Jones.

“Interest in our cross-disciplinary undergraduate degree in food and agribusiness is looking strong. There’s still a long way to go, but it is an indicator that we are heading in the right direction.”