Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697637223797.pdf (Australia)
CHAPTER 4 Conclusion 4.1 The preceding chapters have discussed the decline of agriculture and agribusiness education in Australia and the skills shortages that have developed as a result of an ageing workforce, competition from the mining industry, and the increasing disconnect between the consumer and the producer.

Throughout the report, the committee has touched upon recommendations and solutions to problems that have been discussed.
This chapter develops two key ideas that, if adopted and carried forward by industry and government, could help to secure the future of agriculture in Australia over the coming century: re-positing the narrative, and the development of a peak body representing agricultural production and agribusiness as a whole.
Re-writing the agricultural narrative 4.2 Recent years have seen an extraordinary growth in the awareness of food in our society as televisions programs such as the great popularity of MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules, Kitchen Cabinet, demonstrates.
Disappointingly, this renewed interest in preparation and consumption of food has not translated into a broader understanding of the production, processing, value adding, transporting or safe storage of foodstuffs; for the most part interest is focused on the plate, not the long value-chain of numerous industries stretching all the way back to the paddock.
and Heston's Feasts 4.3 Evidence presented to the committee was almost unanimous in advocating the need for industry to be more proactive about promoting itself as a critical national industry, and improving understanding of agriculture in the community.1 Agriculture needs to portray itself as an industry of the future rather than one of the past – inspiring young people to make a difference to the world's challenges through food production and agribusiness-related industries.2 If agriculture cannot create a positive perception of itself, warns author and journalist Professor Julian Cribb, '[agriculture] will not get those brilliant young Australians back into this field.
'3 4.4 Witnesses identified that few Australians realise agriculture is one of Australia’s few wealth producing industries and a significant export income earner for 1 2 Dr Damien Adcock, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 38.

Professor Terry Spithill, Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 64.

3 Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 52.


46 Australia, or that our farmers are amongst the most productive in the world on a per capita basis.4 4.5 To properly address the skills shortage that has developed, the industry needs to attract and retain more and better trained people.

Attracting more people will reinvigorate education facilities, increase the research talent pool, and spread the word to more people that agriculture and agribusiness are exciting industries to be a part of.
To do that, the industry has to make itself attractive by dispelling negative myths around farming especially, and create the link in the collective consciousness between food and fibre production, science, and security, highlighting the careers on offer, and emphasizing the multidisciplinary qualities of the entire sector.
The committee considers that there is a need for the establishment of a peak body representing the key bodies involved in agricultural production and agribusiness to achieve this outcome.

4.6 Throughout this inquiry, the committee heard from stakeholders who repeated that negative images associated with agriculture need to be reversed.
As was discussed earlier in this report, the importance of agriculture has either lost all meaning for most urban Australians, or it is associated with poorly paid, low skilled workers.
As was argued to the committee: ...why would [students] want to come into [the industry] when every time they pick up a newspaper it is all doom and gloom: how tough it is, the long hours and all those sort of things, and that there is no money in it?5 4.7 The committee heard that many prospective students and workers consider living and working in non-metropolitan areas to involve hardship, and that those areas are considered to offer poor amenities, physical and cultural isolation and generally difficult conditions.6 Contrary to this view, regional areas and cities are often vibrant locations with many benefits over large cities including cheaper housing, low unemployment levels and high levels of community engagement.
The committee heard that governments have a role in improving perceptions of rural lifestyles, and highlighting that the availability of many high quality services in most rural and regional areas.7 4.8 One means of repositioning the sector which received wide support was the suggestion to rename, or at least move away from historically loaded terms, specifically 'agriculture' in its presentation in urban communities.
Agriculture, it was reported to the committee, is almost exclusively equated with negative aspects of 4 Primary Advocates Pty.

Ltd., Submission 20, p. 4.

5 Mr John Henchy, Farm Machinery Dealers Association of Western Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 23.

6 Landmark Operations Limited, Submission 27, pp [1], [4]; Ricegrowers' Association of Australia and Ricegrowers' Limited, Submission 58, p. [6].

7 Birchip Cropping Group, Submission 62, p. [1].


47 farming and overlooks the bulk of the agribusiness sector.8 Tentative steps have already been taken on this journey, for example, the committee heard that ACDA had avoided the use of the term 'agriculture' in their agricultural careers website.9 Among those supporting the rebranding of agriculture include the President of the Muresk Old Collegians' Association10, Longerenong College11, and the former-Food Industry Association of Western Australia (FIAWA).
12 4.9 The committee can see merit in a rebranding exercise, which it considers would not only offer the opportunity to overcome some entrenched misconceptions, but would also provide an opportunity to reframe the debate through the concerted use of new and relevant terminology.

One term put to the committee that has obvious advantages is the general term 'food sector'.

As argued by Professor Julian Cribb: 'food relates to everybody.

Everybody consumes it, it touches the lives of every individual.
'13 The more specific 'food and fibre' was queried by Professor Cribb as too long, and Professor Roush noted that it might be beyond the current understanding of some students.14 In contrast, 'food' is a term that everyone understands, relates to, and encounters every day.

It establishes a clear connection between the needs of each and every person and the sector which makes shows such as MasterChef possible.
4.10 Though obviously difficult, overcoming entrenched negative views and creating a new image for an industry is not an impossible task.

The example of the mining industry was repeatedly cited as having been successful in portraying itself as both desirable and exciting, and having as a consequence overcome many of its recruiting difficulties.15 The University of Melbourne's Professor Richard Roush noted: [T]he advertising around for the mining industry as a career path is quite striking.
You do not see any reference in those to isolation, poor housing in 8 9 Professor Jim Pratley, Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 41.

Professor Richard Roush, School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 25.

10 Mr Floyd Sullivan, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 12.

11 Mr John Goldsmith, Longerenong College, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 32.
12 Mr David Lock, Food Industry Association of Western Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 19.

13 Professor Julian Cribb, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 55.

14 Professor Julian Cribb, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 55; Professor Richard Roush, School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 25.

15 Elders Limited, Submission 55, p. 2.

48 the bush or anything like that.


These are problems, that by any stretch of the imagination, would be far greater than we are faced with for agriculture.16 La Trobe University similarly credited the ability of the mining industry to 4.11 portray itself in a positive light as one of the keys to its ongoing success and support: The mining council has those beautiful ads; there is one where a woman is sitting at a computer running trains all around Western Australia.
It is a really high-tech job; she is doing all this dazzling stuff.17 4.12 The committee is mindful that, to a large extent, the success of such exercises relies heavily on the way they are conducted.
For example, winemaking in Australia has been seen as interesting, respectable, challenging and profitable, resulting in indications of an oversupply of winemakers in Australia.18 4.13 Change cannot be expected to happen overnight as cultural shifts naturally take time, and negative perceptions of agriculture are seemingly rusted on to the Australian national psyche.
At least one witness expressed the sentiment that if their grandchildren's views are different the initiative will have been successful.19 4.14 At the same time as agriculture creates a new narrative, it needs to reach out to students and existing workers.

Students who are not aware of opportunities are in no position to pursue them.
An increase in the marketing of agriculture and agribusiness opportunities to students was put to the committee of a way to attract additional students and workers to the sector.20 Young people also choose careers with an eye towards future personal growth, not just the initial salary on offer.21 Therefore, it is necessary to articulate to prospective students the challenging and ever changing nature of agriculture if it is to be portrayed as an attractive career choice.
As an initial suggestion, this might be achieved through enhanced career advice material, industry outreach, or greater prominence in the curriculum.

4.15 As noted in the previous chapter, many school students have little understanding of the career opportunities and paths available to them.

Similarly, there is precious little information for those considering career changes or students from other disciplines.
The committee has already made recommendations that will go some way to addressing this shortcoming, but it must be reinforced that industry needs 16 Professor Richard Roush, School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 19.

17 Professor Terry Spithill, Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 67.
18 Professor Richard Roush, School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 24.

19 Mr Ken Sevenson, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 23.

20 Ms Barbara Grey, Submission 61, p. [2].

21 Mr Arthur Blewitt, AgriFood Skills Australia, Committee Hansard, 1 February 2012, p. 5.

49 to articulate pathways and career opportunities to prospective students and even existing workers if it hopes to overcome the present skills shortage.
4.16 The agriculture and agribusiness labour force, like all others, responds to incentives.

Industry can improve its competitiveness through the provision and marketing of salary packages that include housing and other benefits.22 Often perks already exist, they are just poorly marketed to potential applicants.
For example, the committee heard of farmers offering employees limited share farming arrangements as an incentive to remain with them in the industry.23 It was suggested to the committee that a stronger emphasis on lifestyle benefits would help farming compete with industries with higher headline salaries.24 A new peak body for agriculture 4.17 The committee received evidence that the voice of the agriculture and agribusiness sectors is currently fragmented.
Evidence from Western Australia provides a taste of this fragmentation: It is an extremely fractured industry.

Even if you took the entire supply chain and just looked at food processing sector, it is extremely fragmented.

In Western Australia we have two broad farmers' bodies: the PGA and the Western Australian Farmers Federation.

Then we have industry bodies for every industry sector, WAPPA for the pork producers and another for the grains industry.

I do not know how many there are.


There may be 30 or 40 industry associations representing production and then there are the processing associations.
It is extremely difficult to coordinate all of those.25 4.18 Although there are a number of very large advocacy organisations such as the National Farmers' Federation, even these do not represent all groups within agriculture when considered as a whole.26 It was argued to the committee that only through a united voice can the new narrative be advanced.27 The committee was given some clue as to why this duplication has occurred, 4.19 and also the consequence of it: The strength that makes regional and rural people so good is also the fundamental weakness of what we have seen today.
When they see a 22 Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, Submission 30, p. 5.

23 Mr Arthur Blewitt, AgriFood Skills Australia, Committee Hansard, 1 February 2012, p. 5.

24 Mr Alan Fisher, Farm Machinery Dealers Association of Western Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 24.

25 Mr David Lock, Food Industry Association of Western Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 16.

26 Mr Ian Joseph, Agribusiness Council of Australia, Committee Hansard, 15 May 2012, p. 8.
27 Professor Jim Pratley, Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, pp 42–43.

50 problem in the country, they get together rally, around, fix the problem and move on.

That is a strength, but it is also a weakness.

What happens is they form a group.

A hundred kilometres down the road, if they also have the same problem, they form the same group.

They keep wasting those resources.


I see a peak body as the one that coordinates and shares what everyone is doing so that everybody does not waste their time, energy and effort anymore.

They can share what is already going on.

By coordinating those energies, the industry itself will move ahead and we will not have this fragmentation that we currently have.
There is nothing wrong with the fragmentation except for the fact that it is wasting limited resources.28 4.20 Among stakeholders, there was widespread support for the development of a new peak body to address the issues facing the industry.

Representatives from the VET sector commented that it would be 'a good idea...a peak body that would look after agribusiness, agricultural education and those sorts of industries would be very good.
'29 This view was echoing by representatives of the higher education sector30, as well as past and present representative bodies and industry.31 4.21 Although there was widespread support for the creation of a new peak body, the committee heard several visions regarding its potential structure and membership.
the university-led La Trobe University recommended Agriculture Tertiary Education Council the Minerals Tertiary Education Council, to spearhead efforts to increase agricultural education.32 Industry members would fund ATEC through subscriptions or levies on production.33 The University of Melbourne argued that the formation of ATEC to increase funding for agricultural and agribusiness education was a promising idea.34 the establishment of (ATEC), the model of following 4.22 Another the Agribusiness Council of Australia (ACA) that was established in 2011 with the key goal of presenting a united voice for industry and addressing the skills shortage peak-body model committee put the to is 28 Mr Ian Joseph, Agribusiness Council of Australia, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 4.
29 Mr Gavin Drew, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 41.

30 Professor Jim Pratley, Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, Committee Hansard , 26 March 2012, p. 42.

31 Mr David Lock, Food Industry Association of Western Australia, Committee Hansard, 26 March 2012, p. 17; Mr Ian Joseph, Agribusiness Council of Australia, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 2.
32 Professor John Webb, Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 66.

33 Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Submission 50, p. 1.
34 Professor Richard Roush, School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 19. through encouraging more people into the profession and ensuring they have the appropriate training.35 As the explained by ACA: 51 We are trying to make sure we coordinate the 4000-odd fragmented industry bodies, all doing very good work but none sharing best practice or their learnings.

We find that we duplicate a lot of the work.
So what we are going to do is achieve economies of scale...Fundamentally, the industry has to ask for one body and one voice so that governments know where to come and industry know where to go when they need something done with regard to change [what] has to happen within Australia.36 4.23 The absence of a peak body that can pull together the food sector supply chain from paddock to plate has meant that each sector is advocating in isolation for its own interests.
As well as duplicating efforts in important areas such as the creation of networks with universities and attracting workers, the duplication also minimises the ability of the industry to communicate with governments.

4.24 In contrast to the situation in the food sector, the minerals sector is represented – almost unanimously – by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA).
This has provided the minerals sector with the ability to persuasively express positions on public policy, and has provided governments with a central point of contact when consulting with industry regarding new policies.

A strong peak body has also helped the minerals sector to partially address its need for labour.

In 1999 the MCA established Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) to support the education of professionals for the minerals industry.
Funded through subscriptions of MCA members, MTEC has provided over $20 million of industry funds for the development and delivery of undergraduate and post-graduate programs in earth sciences, mining engineering and metallurgy across a network of university partners.37 4.25 The positive role that can be played by a peak body in assisting with (and having influence over) the formation of public policy can be clearly demonstrated through the example of the development of the Australian Government's proposed National Food Plan.
At present, the government will be required to consult with dozens of peak bodies representing individual sectors with their own requirements, solutions, and expectations.

Providing governments with one peak body with the authority to speak for the farmer, the banker, the researcher, the truck driver, the exporter and the farm hand would facilitate public policy that is timely, grounded in real world experience, and supported by industry.
4.26 A successful peak body for agriculture and agribusiness must be able to represent the entire sector including finance, educators, primary producers, and associated agribusinesses.

The concerns of agricultural finance might be different from primary producers, and the needs of primary producers might be different to 35 Agribusiness Council of Australia, Submission 13, pp 6, 8.

36 Mr Ian Joseph, Agribusiness Council of Australia, Committee Hansard , 15 May 2012, p. 2.
37 La Trobe University, Submission 50, pp.

7–8.

52 those of food processors.

By including all the relevant sectors – and providing each with effective representation – the peak body would provide a means of formulating solutions to benefit the entire sector.

4.27 In order to be representative of the wishes of key stakeholders, the committee does not seek to be overly proscriptive in nominating a governance structure for the peak body.
However, the committee considers it important that a new peak body's board of directors include representation from 10–12 key sectors including finance, primary production, and education and the chair to be elected from within the group.

4.28 The example of the MCA has shown the efficacy of a strong peak body that is recognised by government and industry as the peak body.
The committee is of the hope that following this report a body of similar strength, resilience and impact will be formed in order to represent all elements of agriculture and agribusiness in order to address the many challenges highlighted throughout the preceding pages.

Recommendation 9 4.29 The committee recommends that the government facilitates the development of a national peak industry representative body for the agricultural production and agribusiness sectors.
Recommendation 10 4.30 The committee recommends that the government commits to regular consultation with the new peak body established in recommendation 9 regarding policy changes that impact upon agriculture and agribusiness.

Recommendation 11 4.31 The committee recommends that the new industry peak body develops and presents to government a national strategy for addressing the skills shortage, industry productivity, and food security.
Senator Chris Back Senator Rachel Siewert Chair Senator Bridget McKenzie Senator Sue Boyce