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Food security in Australia: challenges and prospects for the future
Citation
Farmar-Bowers, Q and Higgins, V and Millar, J, Food security in Australia: challenges and prospects for the future, Springer, United States, pp. 476. ISBN 978-1461444831 (2012) [Edited Book]
Official URL: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9781461444831#abo...
Abstract
The purpose of this book is to critically examine food security issues in Australia, a
country that is often assumed to be food secure. Australia, although a substantial
producer of agricultural products, currently has many citizens suffering food insecurity (Temple 2008) and a growing number with diet-related health problems
(AIHW 2010). Governments see diet issues as important social and economic problems because: Many diet-related chronic diseases … are the major cause of death
and disability among Australians. Poor nutrition is responsible for around 16% of
the total burden of disease and is implicated in more than 56% of all deaths in
Australia (NHMRC 2011a p7). In addition to health-related food insecurities, a
range of other pressures impact increasingly on the cost of food as well as its production. For example, globalization exposes food supply systems in Australia to
rising resource prices as world demand increases. Australia’s agricultural production is not immune to the negative aspects of climate change. Indeed Garnaut maintains that Australian agricultural and resource industries are likely to be affected
profoundly by climate change and the global response to it (Garnaut 2010 p9).
Economic and population growth, changing attitudes to biodiversity conservation, and
the pressure of climate change on native biodiversity (Lindenmayer et al. 2010), also
have implications for food security by increasing competition for resources, such as
land and water (Alston and Whittenbury 2011; Carey et al. 2011). Consequently, the
food production status of Australia will change and food security, including dietary
issues, is likely to become increasingly important for Australians. In order to contextualize Australia’s food security challenges, and how a more sustainable, resilient
and equitable food system might be created, we need an appreciation of global food
security issues.
Item Details
Item Type: | Edited Book |
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Keywords: | food security, Australia |
Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Sociology |
Research Field: | Sociology not elsewhere classified |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in human society |
UTAS Author: | Higgins, V (Associate Professor Vaughan Higgins) |
ID Code: | 138139 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Deposited By: | Office of the School of Social Sciences |
Deposited On: | 2020-03-26 |
Last Modified: | 2020-03-27 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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