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AUSTRALIA SUFFERS FROM ACUTE WORKER SHORTAGES IN FOOD INDUSTRY

AUSTRALIA SUFFERS FROM ACUTE

Australia suffers from acute worker shortages in food industry. Australia’s top peak food industry bodies have calculated the food supply chain is short at least 172,000 workers from paddock to plate. This massive labour shortage will have significant long-term impacts on price and the availability of food for the consumer unless solutions are found quickly.

According to the peak bodies, which have recently collaborated to form the Food Supply Chain Alliance, this is one of the few ‘cost of living’ pressures the Government can influence. The Alliance believes the food sector, given it provides an essential service to the community, must be a priority at the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit, which must deliver viable solutions to be considered a success.

The ‘Food Supply Chain Alliance’ represents over 160,000 businesses with a revenue of over $200 billion. It includes the National Farmers Federation, the Australian Meat Industry Council, Seafood Industry Australia, Independent Food Distributors Australia, AUSVEG, Master Grocers Australia, Restaurant and Catering Industry Association and the Australian Association of Convenience Stores.

The Alliance says there are steps the government can take now to relieve the pressure on food industries and consumers. The food supply chain urgently requires a suite of tools, including suitable visa pathways to welcome overseas workers, as well as measures to facilitate people in the country to take up the work (i.e., lifting restrictions on work rights for temporary migrants and seniors, and support to enable relocation to do the work).

The Alliance believes the government must, as a matter of urgency, develop a National Food Supply Chain Strategy to reduce the impact of both natural disasters and future global challenges.

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