FREE ARTICLE
Despite Australia’s primary productive wealth and productive capabilities in agriculture (over twenty per cent of Australian food and agricultural production by value is exported, with 95% of Australian food exports being in bulk form), Australians are very vulnerable to a systemic weakness in food security. There is a potential scenario of our food shops and supermarkets in major cities being emptied out too quickly to maintain our food supply security in certain events.
The systemic problem is that supply efficiencies always demand that there be minimum inventory stock levels. Furthermore, food supply production is actually geared to the continuity of existing patterns and levels of consumption. A break in buying will lead to a drying-up of production.
In this article, we explain that Australians are walking a tightrope without the food security net needed to guarantee food reserve capacity in the event of a bird flu pandemic. Recent reports point to an imminent bird flu pandemic risk
See, for example:
Bird Flu timebomb
WHO Avian Influenza Update
Bird Flu Death Toll Increases as Indonesian Woman Dies
Co-ordinated government action to prepare at all levels (Federal, State and Municipal) throughout Australia is therefore all the more urgent to reduce the likely impact. Our article explains why additional investment will be required to facilitate suitable reserve food production and distribution capabilities in order to ensure that Australians will have adequate food to meet a serious crisis scenario.
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