Australia's Food Policy Council: Industry Over Public Health?

Australia's new National Food Council, established to advise on the National Food Security Strategy, is facing criticism from health experts who argue it is disproportionately influenced by industry stakeholders. Many of the council's 11 members are affiliated with agribusiness or food production sectors, leading to concerns that public health considerations may be compromised. Experts warn that this composition risks prioritizing productivity and profitability over the accessibility of healthy, nutritious food, potentially exacerbating the nation's high consumption of ultra-processed foods.

The dominance of industry representatives on the council raises questions about the strategy's ability to address genuine food security, which experts define as including access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for an active life. While the government states the council reflects the food system's complexity, academics argue it represents a narrow view that overlooks key drivers of food insecurity, such as affordability of fresh produce and the impact of ultra-processed foods.

There is a prediction that without health-focused policies, the ultra-processed food system in Australia will become even more entrenched within the next decade. Critics suggest that a fairer solution would involve redistributing resources to support diverse local producers and implementing policies like taxes or marketing restrictions on unhealthy foods, measures likely at odds with the interests of large food manufacturers and industrial farming sectors.