A presidents’ roll from the late 1800s still hangs in the office’s meeting room, listing all Association leaders from W.H. Suttor in 1890 to James Jackson as the current President.

The birth of rural advocacy in NSW

The history of NSW Farmers can be traced back to the Pastoralists’ Union of NSW, which was formed in 1890 as a countermeasure to the Shearers’ Union ‘closed shop’ policy and subsequent shearers’ strike. The Pastoralists’ Union was ultimately successful in ending the strike, which would have prohibited Shearers’ Union members from working with non-union shearers and requiring woolgrowers to hire only Union members.

The enforcement of ‘freedom of contract’ – the ability of growers to engage workers regardless of union status – was the first major achievement of the NSW farm sector’s advocacy body. An agreement between the Pastoralists and Shearers unions from 1891 still sits in the NSW Farmers office.

The organisation was involved in the 1890 Australian Maritime Dispute when the Maritime Union refused to handle wool shorn by non-union shearers, and the dispute ended when governments took the side of employers.

The maritime and shearers’ strikes led to the formation of groups that were predecessors to today’s Australian Labor Party.

Amidst a climate of strikes and industrial warfare, much of the Union’s work set the foundations for NSW Farmers as it exists today, and started a strong tradition of member volunteerism alongside professional staff.

Graziers or farmers – what’s in a name?

In 1893, the Farmers and Settlers’ Association was formed to take on the Pastoralists’ Union over colonial legislation that reserved large tracts of arable land for grazing, preventing small farmers from cropping.

The Association held its first meeting in Yerong Creek, where a plaque commemorating the founders was unveiled in 1999.

Tom Connors, in his book To speak with one voice: the quest by Australian farmers for federal unity, notes that the Pastoralists’ Union changed their name to the Graziers’ Union in 1916 in an attempt to “soften the image of an organisation established by prominent wealthy pastoralists”.

 “There was rarely any controversy at a graziers’ conference,” Connors says. “Delegates were usually dressed in expensive suits, many spoke with educated accents and were tactful in their remarks about politicians, public servants and farmers.

“Many delegates to farmers’ conferences wore sports jackets, some were coatless, and there was a sprinkling of beards, broad Australian accents and fiery speeches.”

Moving to an apolitical system

Connors says that the graziers had a difficult time dealing with Labor politicians following the industrial fights of the 1890s; farmers generally found it easier to get along with Labor governments due to closer social attitudes and shared animosity towards graziers.

“Among farmers was a core of Labor Party supporters, although they were swamped by the majority who traditionally backed the Country Party.”

Up until the 1970s, Connors says the divide between farmers and graziers looked insurmountable, but “the desire for unity remained just below the surface”.

In bringing together farmers and graziers under a common banner, the industry needed to work to lobby on behalf of all members, across party lines.

“The election of the Whitlam Labor government changed the very nature of rural lobbying,” Connors says. “No longer could farm leaders telephone a Cabinet minister and pursue policy changes.”

With downward pressure on wool and grain prices, increasing competition from international markets, and uncertainty around quotas, farmers needed to organise professionally to talk to government about industry-wide solutions.

Livestock and grain producers flex their political muscles and become NFF

The most recent precursor to NSW Farmers was the Livestock and Grain Producers’ Association (LGPA), formed in 1978.

In that year, the LPGA began holding talks with other industry bodies on establishing a national farm organisation, which became the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF).

A 1982 issue of the Livestock and Grain Producer outlined major LPGA and NFF achievements, which included abolition of NSW Death Duties, tax deductibility for soil conservation, depreciation allowances on farm machinery, freight subsidies, and increases to restocking loans.

NSW Farmers was also instrumental in delivering the diesel fuel rebate, through which primary producers could claim back the fuel excise.

In 1986, the LGPA delivered a rural action plan to the Federal Government calling for reduced interest rates, floating the Australian dollar, eliminating capital gains tax, reducing tariffs, increasing funding to the Rural Adjustment Scheme, and a moratorium on rural foreclosures.

The LGPA and NFF planned a blockade of all roads into and around Canberra, as well as locally-organised rallies – a Canberra rally opposing a proposed consumption tax drew over 45,000 farmers in one of the capital’s largest ever protests.

The Federal Government took heed, and the consumption tax idea was dropped.

From the LGPA to NSW Farmers

The NSW Farmers’ Association title was adopted in 1987. Chief executive John White said the new name “would identify the Association as representing all farmers, irrespective of the type of primary production in which they were engaged”.

“In the cities, the word ‘farmer’ is now identified with courage, determination and leadership,” Mr White said.

The 1990s saw large farmer protests against high interest rates and low commodity prices, as well as the uneven playing field caused by US farm subsidies.

The introduction of SEPP 46 in 1995 was a rallying point for many farmers after the NSW Government introduced an overnight ban on land-clearing. The fight to overturn the SEPP would last until the start of new native vegetation codes in 2017 – a direct result of NSW Farmers’ ongoing advocacy.

NSW Farmers continued the fight against tariffs, and delivered a major campaign win when the Federal Government decided not to place GST on livestock sales.

Towards a unified sector

The Association strengthened its advocacy by welcoming intensive commodity groups in the 1990s and 2000s, including oyster farmers, chicken growers, dairy farmers and pork producers.

In the early 2000s NSW Farmers successfully lobbied for collective bargaining in the dairy industry, represented farmers in water debates, fended off fee hikes on crown road enclosure permits, defended NSW research stations, and won significant workplace relations battles.

The NSW Farmers’ Get off our Backs taskforce was established in 2006 to fight unfair and overburdening red tape and regulations – work that is continued by many NSW Farmers policy committees today.

Grain producers were frustrated by deregulation talks in 2008, coming out in force at Canberra rallies to support the Single Desk for wheat exports. While deregulation went ahead, NSW Farmers members made their voice heard in the halls of power.

In 2009, Peter Spencer began his hunger strike against further government actions to restrict land clearing, which brought significant public attention to farmers’ ongoing concerns with the erosion of property rights.

Members were also concerned about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and increasing coal seam gas exploration. NSW Farmers secured a landmark agreement with Santos and AGL, with the gas companies committing to honour a landholder’s right to say no to exploration on their property.

NSW Farmers continued delivering wins for members through the 2010s, including Country of Origin Labelling, primary industries education, drought support, inland rail, multi-peril crop insurance, and codes of conduct for the horticulture and dairy industries.

An eye to the future

In 1998, NSW Farmers Youthlink – the precursor to NSW Young Farmers – held a ‘Farmers Toward 2020’ forum, where they delivered the following forecast:

“That 2020 will be a dynamic and exciting time for agriculture. Farmers will be profitable, well-educated, adaptable, self-determining, and capable of carrying out economically, socially and environmentally sustainable practices.”

“It’s a forecast that could be dubbed a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says Rachel Nicoll, current chair of the NSW Young Farmer Council. “Not only is it a thoughtful curation of its time, but it carries as much weight today, so far as demonstrating the excitement and curiosity about the possibilities of the future in agriculture.

It’s not just the big wins

Looking back at what NSW Farmers has achieved, James Jackson says that it’s not always about making something happen – sometimes it’s stopping things from happening.

“You like all of your policy development to be proactive, but by the very nature of policy, you have to react to what others put on the table – including government,” he says. “There are things they haven’t thought through that well, like the koala SEPP, that have inadvertent consequences for agriculture.”

While the Association has delivered some landmark wins, James recognises that it’s not always about the major headlines. “A lot of small wins make up some big achievements for the Association.”

If you enjoyed our story on the history of NSW Farmers, you might like our features on the past winners of Farmer of the Year.

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ABARES data also demonstrates that pork and poultry meat are seeing exponential rises in consumption domestically, driven by price and cultural preferences.

So, rather than being a direct threat to livestock, developing plant-based protein products for the Australian market could ultimately provide new market opportunities for grain producers – something that’s well in train across the research and development sectors.

Alternative protein is a growth sector for the CSIRO. The organisation recently announced three ‘missions’ – projects to provide solutions for agricultural sector issues – including one on the future of protein.

The mission will look at opportunities to change the genetic makeup of certain grain products, positioning them as high-value inputs for stockfeed.

It will also consider what plant-based ingredients will be needed in manufacturing alternative protein products locally, providing an additional income stream for Australian grain growers.

The market for local manufacturing is growing. In September, Victorian-based Australian Plant Proteins (APP) began manufacturing plant-based protein powder at its facility at Horsham in Victoria.

While the plant’s current output is around 2,500 tonnes of powder production, the company is looking to double its production in the next 12 months to meet international demand.

APP is initially using Wimmera region faba beans in it products, and is looking to expand to lentils, chickpeas, and other pulses and legumes.

The Horsham facility is leading the way in manufacturing plant-based products from local sources – previously, ingredients had to be imported due to the lack of local processing facilities. It’s also the first facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

“There is interest from numerous global as well as domestic food and beverage manufacturers,” says Brendan McKeegan, APP co-founder and director. “In the first instance, the protein isolate is destined for manufacturers in Australia, the USA, Japan and various European markets.”

APP is sourcing its inputs from specialist grain handlers with experience in pulses, and doesn’t have strict specifications for inputs as they recognise the high quality of Australian product. “We can also take second grade product and extract just as much protein as we would from first grade product,” Brendan explains.

There’s news on the consumer front, too. In October 2020, IKEA launched meat-free Swedish meatballs made from yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, apples and onion. It’s meant to taste just like the brand’s classic meatballs made from beef and pork.

IKEA says that the new meatball has a significantly reduced carbon footprint, but not much evidence has been provided to back up this claim.

Consumers in major cities are starting to see changes at the supermarket, as retailers dedicate more shelf space to plant-based products.

Australian company v2food for instance, which produces the Hungry Jack’s plant-based Rebel Whopper, has launched its v2mince and v2burgers in Woolworths stores across Australia.

v2 has also teamed up with meal delivery companies Marley Spoon and Dinnerly to deliver their plant-based options.

As the plant protein processing sector in Australia is still in its infancy, v2 are still relying on a number of imported ingredients – but its mince is made in Australia from 65 per cent Australian ingredients.

They plan to ramp up production at their Wodonga facility this year, and will look to source inputs from Australian growers.

Politicians and regulators are keeping a close eye on the industry – Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud hosted a roundtable in late September with members of the plant-based, meat, dairy, egg, manufacturing, and retail sectors.

“I am confident that the massive demand for protein presents huge opportunities for all food producers, and I remain committed to giving our growers greater opportunities to be part of the globally thriving plant-based industry,” the Minister said.

“Plant-based industries form an integral part of Australian agriculture and provide crucial jobs to many Australians living in rural communities, both on farm and through the food manufacturing supply chain.”

The Minister’s interest is focused on labelling, ensuring that marketing is accurate and consumers aren’t confused about the products they are purchasing.

The agricultural industry itself is continuing to hold open discussions with the alternative protein sector, including through the Future of Protein forum. The forum is spearheaded by NSW Farmers in conjunction with the National Farmers Federation and Food Frontier.

Its first meeting in November will bring together key peak industry bodies and alternative protein companies to discuss opportunities for plant producers, life-cycle assessments in Australian agriculture, and new technologies in the alternative protein sector.

If you enjoyed this feature on plant-based proteins, you might like our story on decisions being made about the Health Star Rating for 100 per cent juice.

The post Alternative protein update: food for thought appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Following the success of the first round of AgSkilled, which was delivered to the grains and cotton industries, the second round of the program is now available to NSW primary producers in the plant-based fibre, grains, production horticulture, viticulture and rice growing industries. 

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said that “these expanded opportunities are targeted directly at emerging needs and skill gaps that have been identified by industry, which means the state’s agricultural businesses can get a leg up when hiring skilled labour.”

Reflecting on COVID-19’s impact on labour, Minister Marshall said that it’s critical to develop locally-based workers for the agricultural sector.

“This will give them crucial training on the header, cultivating soil and plant health in the paddock, using new technology and more,” he said.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall

AgSkilled 2.0 specifically aims to attract, develop and retain a productive workforce to underpin continued growth of plant industries in NSW, and support career progression, entry pathways and employment outcomes across the wider agricultural industry and regional NSW economy.

The program will support primary producers and their workforce to develop production, technology, business and safety skills to increase farm productivity and profitability, as well as developing industry capacity to adopt new technologies and sustainable farming practices.

Training is tailored and delivered to suit business needs, and can be designed to suit a range of skills and experience. It covers areas such as farm production, business management, workplace health and safety, precision agriculture, leadership and management, and farm machinery operation and maintenance.

For employers, AgSkilled 2.0 allows you to build the productivity of your business by upskilling existing workers and providing new industry entrants with training in the skills you need, now and into the future.

If you’re already working in the agriculture sector or are looking to start a career on-farm, AgSkilled 2.0 will help you gain the skills employers want with industry relevant and up-to-date training.

 “Our farming businesses are the best in the world, and with programs like AgSkilled 2.0 they will have the workforce to match,” Minister Marshall said.

AgSkilled 2.0 is supported by Cotton Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Horticulture Innovation Australia, NSW Wine Industry Association and Ricegrowers Association of Australia.

More information on the program is available here. If you enjoyed this feature, you might enjoy our story on the emergency water infrastructure rebate scheme.

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Of particular interest to farmers in attendance was a report from the Australian Farm Institute (AFI) that outlined the significant opportunities for both animal and alternative protein. The report was commissioned by rural research and development corporation AgriFutures Australia.

Everyone gets a piece of the pie

Katie McRobert, general manager of the AFI, told attendees that consumers substituting meat for plant-based proteins will not pose a risk to the viability of animal agriculture in Australia. It’s estimated that by 2030, there’ll $19.9 billion in additional opportunities for protein, and only $3.1 billion of this is likely to be met by alternative protein.

Professor Robyn Warner from the University of Melbourne presented on the university’s Future Food Hallmark Research Initiative, which brings together science, business and social science to look at what consumers expect from protein products. The Australian Food and Grocery Council walked the forum through the commercial opportunities and challenges for alternative protein products in the manufacturing and retail sectors.

Nick Hazell from v2food explained the process behind his company’s Rebel Whopper patty, available at Hungry Jack’s, while Vow co-founder George Peppou discussed how his start-up is creating a library of cells to grow animal protein in a laboratory setting. Vow‘s first product may be available as early as the end of 2021.

Some producers are naturally concerned that the alternative protein sector is using marking language that degrades animal agriculture.

“It is not helpful to the Australian animal agricultural and processing sector to fight the inevitable,” says David Mailler, executive director of Meralli Projects. “The research tells us that the protein demand is growing in two ways: changing diets in Asia particularly and population growth. Protein demand by 2050 is estimated to grow by 30 per cent, and animal agriculture cannot possibly grow globally by 30 per cent without alternative protein.”

The nut of it

One of the most important points raised by speakers and attendees about plant-based proteins was that many of the purported environmental impacts of animal agriculture are based on production systems used in the United States. Alternative protein companies should be careful to moderate their marketing so that there’s accurate comparisons between the environmental impacts of protein sources in Australia.

The forum offered some key lessons for animal agriculture – most importantly, that we can all share in the forecast additional demand for protein.

“The rapid rising investment in plant-based protein research suggests it is here to stay,” explains Mailler. “It is important for animal agriculture to understand the political – that is, sovereign food security – and market drivers for alternative protein and not dig in to a paradigm about meat and alternative protein. It will be wasting resources for livestock producers and pretentious to think they can drive alternative protein from the market. Better to manage opportunities to meet market demand.”

Our industries also have an opportunity to promote our environmental and animal welfare credentials. Meat and Livestock Australia told the forum that consumers trust Australian agriculture and they need reassurance that we have world-leading sustainability credentials. Changes in our social demographics, including migration-driven population growth, mean we can diversify our domestic products while also tapping into export markets that are demanding quality.

On the horizon

As for what’s next – NSW Farmers, in partnership with other national organisations, is establishing a national protein forum that brings together traditional and alternative proteins to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding plant-based proteins, share insights, and develop resources for industry.

“In the shorter term, the grains industry will be looking at opportunities in the vegetable alternative protein market,” says Mailler. “For this reason, the agricultural sector will have to manage the inter-commodity relationship.”

What are the alternative proteins?

Thomas King, CEO of plant-based protein think tank Food Frontier, outlined the alternative protein landscape in Australia. Products on the shelves currently fall into these four categories:

• Traditional products, usually soy- or wheat-protein-based, which are marketed to a niche vegetarian market. These products are not designed to replicate meat.
• New generation products that mimic the same building blocks as meat. These are aimed at meat eaters seeking to eat less meat but wanting the same ‘meaty’ experience.
• Nature’s mimics are culinary innovations using raw products like mushroom and jackfruit.
• Fermentation-based products such as Quorn are made from fermented fungus.

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