Impacts of global viruses and future of Ag supply chain

From Food Leaders Australia General Manager, Bruce McConnel:

We find ourselves in a unique position currently. We have got two major, global viruses that are significantly impacting our food supply chains.  Of course, we have COVID-19 that is impacting international markets, freight and the way consumers buy their food but we’re also are challenged with the African Swine Fever.  This is causing a significant shortage of protein in the world. This virus affects only pork, but is found all through the world, and we have seen large numbers of the worlds available pork being removed from markets as this virus takes hold.

The African Swine Fever is now right on our doorstep, with it currently in Papua New Guinea, and could potentially come into Australia soon.

These contagions and viruses are bringing both opportunities and challenges to the sector. Right now, the global shortage of protein caused by African Swine Fever is creating opportunities but filling these gaps is a huge challenge due to the logistical nightmare caused by COVID-19 with restrictions. Consumers are also asking for their protein to be delivered in vastly different ways. They want delivery so the product can be consumed at home, and delivered so that they don’t have to engage with other people, but most importantly, and the biggest challenge we are facing, is a need for consumers to have confidence in the food they are buying.

The legacy of these two viruses throughout our world will be consumers needing security and understanding of where their food has come from and if it is safe to eat. We will see food businesses needing to invest in new technology and traceability to allow them to take hold of these new consumer needs. Companies like AgLive are investing heavily to ensure this technology is available for producers to meet this consumer demand. Australia has a unique position with our sophisticated transport networks and supply chains that could allow first mover advantage and hit the market before anyone else in providing full traceability of supply chains to give the new consumer in the post COVID world every certainty that they need to know their food is safe.

But we need to start looking at this now.

Companies like AgLive are seeing massive demands of people in the Asian markets looking to give certainties of where their food comes from to capitalise on the clean green image of Australia. We have a unique position to beat everyone else to the market here. Let’s capture this.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise is working with a number of these providers to ensure that their product solutions suit the markets and the commodities that are produced within this region. If you want to learn about what they are doing, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly on 07 4639 4600.