CSIRO has released a new report calling for a region-wide “food bowl” approach to protect Australia’s food supply, with a strategy focused on South East Queensland (SEQ) and framed around climate volatility, population growth and supply chain fragility.
The South East Queensland Food System Strategy was developed with the Council of Mayors South East Queensland (CoMSEQ) and regional stakeholders. CSIRO says the plan is aimed at strengthening the region’s food security ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are expected to increase demand and pressure logistics.
Lead author and CSIRO scientist Dr Cathy Robinson said the strategy was intended to shift planning away from fragmented approaches towards coordinated action across production, processing, transport, consumption and waste.
“Achieving sustainable resilient food goals can’t be achieved with a piecemeal approach,” said Dr Robinson.
“If Australia is to achieve reliable, affordable and sustainable food in the decades ahead, we need systems thinking where production, processing, transport, consumption and waste are planned together, not in isolation.”
Dr Robinson said SEQ could serve as a test case, citing projections that the region’s population will exceed six million by 2046 and warning that pressure on land, water and infrastructure would intensify, particularly during major events such as the Games.
“With the region’s population projected to exceed six million by 2046, pressure on land, water, infrastructure and supply chains will intensify and be compounded by global uncertainties and events such as the Games, which will place unprecedented demand on food supply and logistics,” Dr Robinson said.
“Feeding a growing region – and ensuring success for world events like the 2032 Games – won’t happen by accident.
“It requires deliberate collaboration across the whole food system, from farmers and manufacturers to retailers, councils and consumers.”
The document covers 11 local government areas: Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. CSIRO said the model could be applied in other regions where food is produced or manufactured.
Dr Robinson said major events could create short-term surges in food demand and potential access issues, requiring planning that includes diversifying markets and scaling up local production.
The strategy builds on CSIRO’s Towards a State of the Food Systems Report for Australia. Co-author CSIRO’s Dr Peggy Schrobback said the food system’s significance extends beyond economics, affecting employment, community wellbeing and access to nutritious food.
“The food system supports jobs, community wellbeing, cultural identity and people’s access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Dr Schrobback.
“Even the most productive regions are vulnerable if supply chains falter or planning is misaligned.”
CoMSEQ Chair and Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said local food and agriculture industries were under pressure, and argued that partnerships across government and industry would be needed to prepare the region’s food system for future demand.
“When people in South East Queensland can easily get fresh food, they’re not just eating well, they’re enjoying the health, jobs and economic benefits that come with it,” Cr Schrinner said.
“We have an incredible opportunity to serve up the best of South East Queensland to the world with Brisbane 2032 on our doorstep, but planning needs to start now to make it happen.
“We can’t solve these challenges alone, so strong partnerships with other levels of government and industry are critical to make sure our food system is ready for the future.”
The SEQ Food System Strategy identifies three priority areas for immediate action: strengthening SEQ as a resilient food bowl by protecting agricultural land and infrastructure and improving access to affordable, nutritious food; preparing for population growth and major events while strengthening supply chains; and building a food innovation system that connects data, research and industry, including circular economy approaches and Indigenous food knowledge.
CSIRO has published the full report online.
