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Matt Canavan warns Australia is sleepwalking towards food crisis as population growth outpaces domestic food production

Matt Canavan has warned Australia is sleepwalking into a food security crisis, with population growth outpacing food production. He says projected shortages could affect pork, butter, eggs, apples, chicken and rice by 2040.

By news@gippsland - 17th August 2026 - Back to News

Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan has opened The Nationals conference this weekend by warning that Australia is sleepwalking into a food security crisis. Senator Canavan said food production in Australia is not keeping up with increasing population and consumption rates, and if the trend continues, Australia will not grow enough of some basic household staples over the next decade.

Senator Canavan blamed Labor’s water cuts and buybacks for worsening food security, warning Australia risks greater imports as domestic production struggles to keep pace

Australia faces food shortages

Senator Canavan said, "Our food security is in decline because our population growth is increasing well beyond our food growth. In this century, our population has grown by 50 percent, while the volume of our food production has grown by just 30 percent. Do the math - our nation is sleepwalking into a food security crisis."

The Nationals' modelling shows by 2040 projected shortfalls could include;

• One in two bacon rashes - or 50 percent of pork
• Two in five blocks of butter - or 40 percent of butter
• One in five eggs - or 21 percent of eggs
• One in six apples - or 16 percent of apples
• One in six chickens - or 15 percent of chickens
• One in six bags of rice - or 15 percent of rice

Senator Canavan said cuts to dams and water funding while pressing ahead with water buybacks are reducing our food security.

"Labor has cut over $7 billion in dams and water supply funding since they were elected in 2022. When we left office, we left funds for the Hells Gate dam, the Dungowan dam, the Emu Swamp dam, the Hughendon Irrigation Scheme, Big Rocks weir and the Paradise dam. The CSIRO had identified almost 400,000 hectares of great farming land that could be opened up with new water infrastructure in northern Australia," he said.

Food security under threat

Senator Canavan added, "The food security shortfalls are already emerging with profound consequences, including almost 100 SunRice workers losing their jobs this week. Forget being able to eat 'an apple a day to keep the doctor away' - it is frightening that we might have to import one in six apples in just over a decade, or one in six bags of rice.

"We have become complacent and naive about the basic challenges of supplying food, energy and housing to millions of people. We have been too focused on virtue signalling rainbow morning teas and not focused enough on the water, energy, fertiliser and farmers that are needed to get the food there in the first place. As well as that, Labor's net zero policies are hurting farming communities, while the Leftist elite fail to take real action themselves."

"Over 90 percent of our emissions reductions have come from the conversion of around 7 million hectares of farmland to what they call forest, but in truth is just the growth of pests and weeds where food was once grown. At a time when we are facing food shortages of basic foodstuffs, we should not be shutting down farms, just to get to net zero," he said.

Nationals push for food security

Senator Canavan also said, "The Nationals remain committed to growing more food, creating more farming jobs and providing affordable and healthy produce for Australian families. A future Coalition government with The Nationals and the team I lead will prioritise food security, by building dams, stopping net zero and water buybacks, using all of our resources to provide cheaper energy and have its own fertiliser for farms, cutting red and green tape, and lowering compliance costs and migration."

"We will establish a Dams and Water Supply taskforce to find the dams that have been lost by Labor. We will deliver a plan to ensure that Australia doesn't become reliant on other countries for food, like we have for oil. We need to expand the frontiers of our nation and protect our food security - to keep much more than just a doctor away. We can do that by growing more food," the senator concluded.

Pictures from Bass Coast Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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