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Food
The food industry is vital to Australia in terms of profitability, investment, exports and jobs growth. Food and beverage processing is our largest manufacturing sector, accounting for 21 per cent of manufacturing sales and services income, and employing more than 181,000 people.
Retail sales in the food and liquor sector within Australia in 2005-06 were $97.4 billion, representing 46 per cent of total retail turnover. In the same year, food exports made up more than 15 per cent of total Australian merchandise exports and were valued at $23.8 billion.
What we do
DAFF has responsibility for the Australian Government's food industry policy agenda, which aims to build a globally competitive food industry. DAFF is working with industry to develop a range of initiatives that address important industry issues, such as innovation, food regulation, sustainability and market access and development.
We also administer the Australian Government’s $75.7 million package of measures to help make Australia’s food industry more globally competitive. This four-year package was launched in 2007 and builds on the success of the five-year National Food Industry Strategy. It includes:
- Food Innovation Grants Program
- Technical Market Access Program
- International Food Standards Program
- Australian Food Industry Advisory Council
These and other DAFF programs assist in the ongoing growth and improvement of the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Australia’s food industry.
DAFF also works with other Australian Government agencies such as the Department of Health and Ageing and Food Standards Australia New Zealand, as well as state and territory governments on issues relating to food regulation. Together our aim is to ensure a more efficient and effective domestic food regulatory system that protects public health and safety while recognising the need for an internationally competitive food industry.
Product integrity, which now includes the issue of protective security and the potential for deliberate intervention in the agriculture and food chain, is an emerging business reality. DAFF works with industry to address potential gaps or vulnerabilities in the food chain safety and security system.
For information on importing and exporting foodstuffs, please visit Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Funding Programs
DAFF delivers a number of competitive grant programs to support the growth and development of a sustainable and innovative food industry. These include:
- Food Innovation Grants Program
- New Industries Development Program
- Food Processing in Regional Australia Program
Now available:
- Australian Food Statistics 2007
- Strengthening the India-Australia corridor in Select Food and Agribusiness Sectors
- FOODmap: A comparative analysis of Australian food distribution channels
- Food News Bulletin
- Assessing the Environmental Performance of the Food Value Chain
- The Australian Organic Industry - A Summary
*All statistics referred to are from Australian Food Statistics 2006.
