THE FEDERAL Government has announced two new investments worth almost $2.5 million to help strengthen Australia’s agricultural traceability systems.

They include $1.95M to establish a successor to the Australian Agricultural Traceability Governance Group (AATGG), and $534,791 for Standards Australia to lead the national rollout of the Australian Agricultural Traceability Protocol (AATP).

The National Farmers’ Federation has been awarded the $1.95M grant to establish a new national governance group to progress traceability leadership and coordination previously undertaken by the AATGG.

The group will bring together governments, industry and supply chain participants to improve Australia’s agricultural traceability systems.

The remaining funds will enable Standards Australia to rollout the AATP across the country, a nationally consistent digital standard that supports reliable data sharing across agricultural supply chains.

Developed through the Data Enabled Traceability Proof of Concepts (AgTrace) project and successfully piloted by AgTrace Australia across multiple agricultural industries, the protocol will operate as a public good with no licensing constraints, allowing broad participation and adoption across Australian agriculture.

Standards Australia will lead governance, administration and sector-wide activation of the protocol, helping ensure it remains accessible, industry-led and fit for purpose.

These investments will:

• help reduce compliance burdens for farmers through streamlined data practices;
• improve interoperability across supply chains;
• strengthen confidence in product provenance and sustainability claims; and,
• enhance Australia’s ability to respond quickly to biosecurity incidents.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said strong traceability systems reinforce trust in Australian agriculture globally.

“Australia is a global leader in agricultural traceability and the Albanese Labor Government is committed to building on this success,” Ms Collins said.

“Better traceability means better opportunities for Australian farmers.

“Agricultural, fisheries and forestry exports were forecast to reach a record value of around $86 billion in the last financial year, and our government will continue to invest in strong traceability systems that are essential to maintaining access to premium international markets.

“Consumers, trading partners and regulators around the world are placing greater emphasis on traceability, and these initiatives will help ensure Australian agriculture remains at the forefront of meeting those expectations.”

NFF welcomes funding

The NFF has welcomed the Federal Government’s investment in strengthening Australia’s agricultural traceability systems through a new industry-led national traceability governance mechanism.

NFF chief executive officer Mike Guerin said the investment recognised that Australia’s future traceability success depends on effective collaboration across the agricultural sector.

“Our role is not to replace existing traceability systems,” Mr Guerin said.

“It is to provide the governance, coordination and engagement that supports implementation of the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy and helps industry and governments address shared challenges together.”

The work will focus on supporting collaboration across commodities, jurisdictions and supply chains, identifying opportunities to reduce duplication, encouraging interoperable approaches where they deliver value, and providing a national forum to coordinate implementation priorities.

Mr Guerin said strengthening co-ordination would help ensure Australia remained well positioned to meet growing domestic and international expectations for traceability, particularly in overseas markets where more than 70 percent of what Australian farmers grow is ultimately sold.

“Farmers and supply chains already invest significantly in traceability.

“By improving co-ordination, we can better support practical implementation, share knowledge, reduce unnecessary duplication and maximise the value of those investments.”

The program will establish an industry-led national governance mechanism, coordinate implementation of priority activities under the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy, support engagement across the agricultural sector and assess future governance and funding arrangements to ensure long-term sustainability of national coordination.

Source: Federal Government, NFF