4 August 2025. Michael Guerin, AgForce CEO.
Implementing robust protocols following a vigorous and comprehensive risk assessment are key pre-requisites for any changes to our biosecurity protections.
This is absolutely crucial to ensuring Australia's ongoing ability to maintain its food security and a strong agricultural industry that contributes enormously to our nation's economy.
There was opaque visibility at best of the Federal Government's 'rigorous science and risk-based assessment' of the 'US Beef Imports Review' conducted last decade.
Therefore it comes as no surprise that AgForce and others - including most recently NSW Farmers - are calling for an independent scientific review into the recent decision by the federal government to resume US beef imports.
In any event, the independent Inspector General of Biosecurity quite separately has recommended independent scientific reviews for all decisions, to improve the process of import risk assessments more broadly. Significant risk assessments normally have an independent review as a matter of course.
What's at stake is no less than the future of our agricultural industry - one that is the envy of much of the world.
In the worst-case scenario of a biosecurity incursion, we would see the decimation of the primary production on which our food security relies, and instead become reliant on overseas food imports and higher food prices.
Industry cannot accept last week's negative response by the Federal Government to the idea of an independent review - as the implications of a wrong decision are too great for every Australian.
There is enormous value in industry working closely with the Government on important issues such as this. Here is the opportunity to do just that.
The Federal Government has recently re-stated that it will never compromise on biosecurity. But fulfilling that undertaking demands more than just words - it requires the independent review the Inspector General of Biosecurity recommends.
