Food trade
Australia has a worldwide reputation for producing superior quality, premium food. Australian food producers are committed to providing the highest international standards of quality management and food safety.

The value of Australian food exports declined by around 3 per cent in 2006–07 to $23.3 billion compared with the previous year. Food exports reached a peak of $30.8 billion (2006–07 dollars) in 2001–02 and have been declining since, largely due to drought and changes in import demand from overseas markets. [DFAT and DAFF].

This is an archaic extract, yet illustrates the fact that our balance of trade in relation to food produce since 1998 has continued to decline. We are in the 'red' regarding our overall balance of trade:[food/produce, merchandise, minerals and resources]

Can we feed a 'Big Australia'?

Looking at the levels of obesities in Australia I would say we have plenty of cutting back to do before we get to concerned. We cull many roos which could easily feed many more people if needed. It seems that the money these days is in making catastrophic predictions. Usually they are made far enough in the advance so they can never be held accountable (except for the likes of Flannery and Gore) who have been made to look foolish. This is just another one of a long line of articles that use pseudo science and computer models to reach the conclusion that supports a political cause.

Michael, Thanks for a very thorough and interesting article.

Cheryl,

You have not challenged Michael's sources or analysis. He is concerned that we might not be able to see even 70% more people through a long, severe drought, even without considering peak oil, peak phosphate, climate change, etc. You say we can triple the population. I don't see how this would be possible, even if we took meat, fish, and dairy products off the tables of the working classes and forced them to eat the sorghum and other coarse grains directly. Please explain.

Curmudgeon,

It is true that climate is not perfectly understood, but when people who have passed stiff examinations in math, physics, and chemistry, and have been studying climate all the time, possibly for decades, say that climate change might well reduce our water supplies, I am inclined to take them very seriously. What do you have against reasonable safety margins?

Runner,

Do the numbers, as Michael has.

Look at what is possible and leave the rest to God. With the advent of Globalization we are closing down food production all over the globe. As a former farmer I know without a shadow of doubt when the farmers are paid to produce food they are amongst most productive people on the planet but with globalism manipulating the price production is dramasticly reduced. Only when large scale starvation deaths occure will the west learn that the failed socialist model does not work and leads to unnessecary suffering and death. Stalin starved between 7 & 11 million people to death in 1933 in the Ukraine in 1933 while the rats ate their way through a record grain harvest. The problem does not lie in production of food but in the wickedness of mans heart.

We need to stabilize Australia's population now, and deal with the short-term problems this will bring. Unfortunately our economy is designed around perpetual population growth, so we'll keep growing until we are forced to stop - and the problems we will face then will be much greater.

Michael,
Your conclusion that we can't produce enough fruit and vegetables presently or in the future is incorrect. The reason why the figures show imports exceeded exports is because of Australia's import tariff reduction ONLY. You derive a whole lot of nonsense by reading the Governments figures how they want you to read them (you are not alone). I know personally many farmers who have good land and plenty of water in areas historically proven for the prolific vegetable and fruit production with the rug taken from underneath their feet by our national policies, they now struggle whilst we eat un-regulated production from all corners of the globe. Please make yoursef aware of what is actualy happening. Regards.