A major food security roundtable held in Canberra on Wednesday discussed the serious health impacts of food insecurity in remote communities and focussed on solutions for freight and wholesale costs.
Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the Food Security Industry Roundtable was the first time stakeholders in the remote supply chain, from manufacturers through to retailers, had come together to identify food security solutions for remote communities.
"Industry participants heard from the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation on the health impact of food insecurity and acknowledged the health crisis facing remote Australia," she said.
"Central Australia has the highest rates of amputations in the country due to diseases like diabetes. First Nations people suffer from high rates of chronic kidney disease across the country.
"Remote retailers highlighted the cost of doing business as an issue impacting their purchasing power, affecting volume and ultimately the cost and availability of food and essentials for residents in remote communities."
Senator McCarthy said key outcomes of the Roundtable included an agreed focus on freight as a way of improving reliability and reducing costs, including the impact of variables like weather and lack of competition.
"There was also a willingness from manufacturers to work with remote community store retailers to provide essential items at a cost no more than the price offered to major supermarket chains," she said.
The Minister noted that food insecurity disproportionately affects First Nations people living in remote communities where food is "much more" expensive and vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
"The price of groceries in some remote communities is more than double that in capital cities. This has a very real impact on residents' health and financial wellbeing," she said.
"The 2024 Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan recognises remote food insecurity, or food security, as an absolutely national priority and our government is committed to action. Improving food security requires commitment across industry and government along all stages of the supply chain."
There are more than 200 remote community stores across Australia, serving around 150,000 First Nations people.
The federal government is investing $11.8 million to develop a National Strategy for Food Security in remote First Nations communities, in partnership with state and territory governments and First Nations health organisations.
The National Strategy, which will aim to improve access to nutritious and affordable food and groceries, is expected to be finalised by early 2025.
The attendees at Wednesday's meeting in Canberra are: ALPA, CEQ, Foodbank SA & NT, George Weston Foods, Goodman Fielder, Kimberley Clarke, Mai Wiru, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation peak body (NACCHO), Outback Stores, Sanitarium, San Remo Group, Simon George & Sons, Sun Rice Group, Unicharm Australasia, and the Woolworths Group.
