Addressing Australia’s food insecurity, with Andrew Henderson, Agsecure

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Agsecure's Andrew Henderson to unpack the recent Australian Strategic Policy Institute food security green paper developed by Henderson and Dr John Coyne. The pair discuss a range of topics outlined in the food security green paper, including:

• Food security fragility: Australia’s food system heavily relies on critical imports (e.g. glyphosate, phosphate), with potential disruptions leading to rapid breakdowns.
• Central coordination, local delivery: Proposes centralised planning (e.g. via agriculture) but decentralised execution, empowering local actors and reducing red tape.
• Ecosystem perspective: Suggests a holistic “food security ecosystem” approach, connecting producers, processors, distributors and critical inputs.
• Structured risk assessment: Recommends systematic identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities using structured frameworks, with private sector engagement.
• Urgency and national security: Highlights immediate action needs due to geopolitical tensions and environmental risks, including building domestic production and resilience.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team