Farming Methods and Food Systems in Australia

Farming Methods and Food Systems in Australia

Evolution of the Australian Food System

  • The Australian food system has evolved significantly:
    • From substance farming to a global industrialized system.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Food Practices

  • Traditional view: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were considered hunter-gatherers.
  • Modern understanding: They also practiced:
    • Plant domestication
    • Sowing and harvesting
    • Irrigation
    • Food storage
    • Consistent with substance farming practices.

Resources for Food Production

Primary Resources

  • Definition: Resources that support plant growth and, consequently, food production.
  • Examples:
    • Land
    • Soil
    • Nutrients
    • Water
    • Air
    • Warmth
    • Sunlight
    • Naturally occurring plants and animals
    • Soil organisms
  • Limitation: The absence of any one of these resources can halt food production.

Secondary Resources

  • Definition: Resources actively applied to the environment to increase food production.
  • Examples:
    • Labor
    • Capital
    • Energy
    • Fertilizers
    • Pesticides
    • Weedicides
    • Machinery
    • Technology

Organizational Levels of the Australian and New Zealand Food System

Primary Production

  • Definition: The growing, harvesting, or foraging for food.

Food Processing

  • Definition: Off-farm activities.
  • Example: Modifying wheat into bread or breakfast cereals.

Retail Industries

  • Definition: The distribution and sale of food and food products.

Alternative Local Food Systems

  • There is a growing call for the development of alternative local food systems in response to:
    • The growth of industrialized and globalized food systems.

Soil: A Primary Resource

Soil Quality

  • Soil quality depends on three major interacting components:
Biological Fertility
  • Definition: Variety of organisms that live in the soil and perform crucial functions.
Chemical Fertility
  • Definition: The availability of essential elements for plant uptake and growth.
  • Includes: Elements that can be detrimental to plants and soil organisms if in excess or deficient.
Physical Fertility
  • Definition: Physical properties and processes that affect soil fertility.
  • Examples:
    • Soil texture
    • Soil structure
  • Impact of physical properties:
    • Altering water movement through soil.
    • Affects root penetration.
    • Can lead to waterlogging.

Improving Soil Management Practices

  • Changing management practices can lead to significant improvements in:
    • Soil structure
    • Soil organic matter content
    • Nutrient performance
  • Observed benefits:
    • Reduced costs associated with:
      • Herbicides
      • Pesticides
      • Fuel
    • Less wear on machinery
    • More efficient use of water and nutrients.