Food security: The key ingredients for olive industry success
By Laura Thomas
Enforced food laws, tailored water allocation and increased R&D investment are the Australian olive industry’s key priorities for government, as food security challenges threaten the nation’s food bowl.
Australian olive products enjoy an enviable reputation, thanks to a long-term and concerted industry-wide commitment to sustainable farming, quality production and supply chain best practice.
And while this puts the industry in good stead for the future, strategic government policy and investment will be crucial going forward.
There is also an ongoing and important role for industry leaders, growers and producers.
As reported in last week’s edition of Friday Olive Extracts, climate change, extreme weather events, drought, biosecurity threats, soaring input costs, politics, supply chain and workforce reliability and farmer wellbeing are ramping up pressure on the nation’s “food-secure” status.
For the olive industry, dodgy trade practices, climatic changes, production cost and labour availability are the key challenges.
In last week’s article, we explored the food security challenges facing the Australian olive industry.
Read more from AOA director and consultant Paul Miller to find out what can – and must – be done by government, industry and producers to ensure the sector’s future.
Trade
The Australian Government continues to support the Australian Standard for Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil (AS 5264-2011) and Olive Industry Code of Practice (now OliveCare®) that it paid to develop in the late 2000s.
There are also food laws regarding competition, quality claims and authenticity.
“It is one thing to have such laws, it is quite another to act on them,” Mr Miller said.
“The Australian Government should implement quality enforcement in Australia. Unfortunately, quality fraud of food has always been a lesser priority than food safety.
“Recent reports such as ‘tomato gate’ may help highlight the needs of the sector and increased visibility of Certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil® will be noticed by government in contrast with questionable competitor products.”
Mr Miller said Australia’s continued leverage of the AS 5264-2011 standard in US and Asian export markets, through attendance at international forums and by direct contact with government level colleagues in key overseas countries, was vital.
“It will take persistence to change places like the EU however, we know that there is increasing support for ‘natural’ foods by governments and for quality and value to be the image of these foods,” he said.
“Competition policy is in place however the lack of true competition in Australian retail is well known. Governments need to continue to work for fairer markets. The Australian government is overall committed to fair trade and international efforts like the upcoming elimination of EU tariffs for Australian olive products may help export opportunities.”
Mr Miller said Federal Government support of consumer education and olive product market surveillance should continue.
“The policy aim should be to ensure that Australians benefit from genuine extra virgin olive oil as part of the overall food policy that also promotes fruit, vegetables, fibre and high quality protein,” he said.
Water supply
Water for irrigation is critical for much of Australian food production, including olive oil.
But the fact olive trees use less water than other prominent crops and can be irrigated with more saline water, should be recognised and favoured by government policymakers, according to Mr Miller.
“Olive trees which are evergreen may also need access to irrigation water earlier and later than other crops. These crop characteristics should be taken into account when identifying opportunities and allocations,” he said.
“Water access is too often simply an investment and consequently a rising cost for permanent crops. This needs management and regulation to avoid negative impacts on food security.”
Mr Miller said warmer seasons featuring increased extreme weather events would require additional research and extension efforts – and more government investment – across the agriculture sector.
Production and labour
Research and development, extension and innovation have long been the hallmarks of Australian agriculture and will require increased investment to ensure future food security.
“Governments should be confident of the returns on public investment in these areas given the successful track record of food production in Australia, in the face of commonly subsidised foreign competition,” Mr Miller said.
“The return on investment for Australia is more than simply productivity. The return includes opportunities for skilled labour in industries like olives to apply innovations to quality food production.
“The transition away from dependence on foreign fuels is also important in achieving increased independence and resilience of producers and therefore greater food security, and should therefore be a government priority.”
Australian Olive Association
The AOA’s long-term efforts behind the scenes continues to have a positive impact on food security.
The industry’s peak body continues its decades-long effort to improve quality standards and supply chain practices within Australia and international export markets.
“The AOA recognises that quality is our only option with olive products and therefore we must strive to ensure fair and profitable prices are paid for premium quality products,” Mr Miller said.
“We also recognise that consumers are not where the problems lie in the olive oil trade, so efforts are being made to help consumers choose a trusted, quality product.”
The Certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil® and Certified Australian Table OlivesTM industry brands enable Australian producers to promote their quality products.
“In parallel, the AOA is also able to lobby retailers and government more effectively with such programs in place.
The AOA also supports the wealth of knowledge within the Olive Wellness Institute. This information is regularly shared with food professionals and referenced by producers.
The AOA has become the extension arm of research and development efforts for the Australian olive industry. Conferences, webinars, field days and now regional meetings are all part of this critical activity to assist profitability and underpin the integrity of the industry’s products. The exchange of information at such industry gatherings and online is a critical and increasing important strength of the industry facilitated by the AOA.
Industry advocacy – around issues including biosecurity, government policy, olives as weeds, water and more – is ongoing.
The AOA also liaises with funding bodies to ensure the efficient use of funds for olive-related R&D projects.
Growers and producers
Business profitability and sustainability are a non-negotiable for growers and producers, as the food security challenge continues.
So how can they play a part?
Recent feedback tells us that producers appreciate the opportunity to get together, learn more about sustainable production practices and exchange ideas.
Integrated pest management and soil improvement have shown benefits in more sustainable production. These practices are becoming more widely adopted as a result of grower education provided at AOA regional field days and meetings.
Operations of different scales can benefit from different opportunities.
Many boutique olive producers diversify their premium product ranges to increase profit margins, extending their reputation for quality for use in cosmetics and other food products. They also use tools within the OliveCare® code of practice to ensure quality for the life of their olive products, by setting realistic best before dates.
For larger-scale operations, sustainability – and therefore food security – is a corporate necessity. These producers are encouraged to support collective efforts for change to regulations, and push for targeted research and development into sustainability in a changing physical and business environment.
When the industry supports collective efforts, all participants benefit. Most of Australia’s olive industry is certified under the AOA’s OliveCare® industry code of practice. Certified members have an important role to play in encouraging others to join – for the benefit of the entire industry.
Join the conversation
Want to help evaluate Australia’s current food security position and contribute to the development of a new Food Security and Resilience Framework for Australia and the Federal Government’s Feeding Australia strategy?
Join the Facing the Future – food security and resilient food systems – a new framework conference being held in Melbourne during October.
The event will bring together food producers, agriculturalists, logistics experts, demographers, sociologists, researchers and government agencies, to share ideas on how best to prepare for the future.
It will also feature a presentation from Cobram Estate Olives chair Rob McGavin, who will speak about establishing profitable science and quality based food industries.
Sources:
Paul Miller, AOA Director and consultant
Australian Olive Association
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry