Download
Australian food supply chain vulnerable to climate change: report
CGTN

A farmers' group in Australia has warned that the country's food supply is at increasing risk of being impacted by climate change.

According to a report published by Farmers for Climate Action on Wednesday, Australia's food supply chain is more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought.

It concluded that the country's logistical chains were highly robust but would be at risk if hit by two simultaneous catastrophic weather events.

The report was written before the flood crisis currently affecting northeast Australia but predicted global warming would increase the frequency and severity of weather events affecting the supply chain.

An aerial drone view of houses inundated by floodwater in Woodburn, Australia, March 7, 2022. /VCG

An aerial drone view of houses inundated by floodwater in Woodburn, Australia, March 7, 2022. /VCG

Stephen Bartos, an expert in food resilience and author of the report, told The Guardian Australia that Australians took it for granted that food would always be available.

"There's greater fragility in the food supply chain than had previously been thought due to the impact of climate change," he said.

"Climate change disrupts this. It creates and amplifies risks all the way through the supply chain, from farm to warehouse to supermarket shelves."

The report called for the supply chain to be shortened and diversified to mitigate the impacts of catastrophic weather events.

However, it cast doubt on the government's planned 1,700-km inland railway project.

The about 14.5 billion Australian dollars ($10.55 billion) infrastructure project, which is set to open in 2027, would connect the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane along a new route that would also connect to the Sydney-Perth rail corridor.

The government has promised that it will deliver major economic benefits to rural communities along the route, but Wednesday's report warned that it could be significantly affected by climate change.

"Several organizations consulted for this project were concerned that inland rail could be disrupted by flooding at the same time as other road and rail links," it said.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

Search Trends