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We're going behind the scenes to see and understand modern agriculture, because no matter whether you're in it or not, you probably don't know all the pieces to just how incredible, diverse and multi-layered agriculture is. We do this by uncovering the real stories, experiences and voices of modern agriculture.
Oli Le Lievre 0:02
G'day and welcome to the internet on the go podcast produced by humans of agriculture. Our podcast is designed to get you across the things that matter in Ozzie agribusiness in a way that's just well, bloody easy to understand. Think of me as a friend that is learning with you, as we discover and chat about the topics, from farm to fork, and even beyond.
I'm joined by the honorable Marie white Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as well as Minister for emergency management. Maria, I wanna start off by painting a little bit of context. I know, you understand a little bit about humans of agriculture. But we recently did a survey and some really interesting insights came out of it. And I think, this year, especially and I think over a few years, we've seen mental well being mental health really coming to the radar, and then the the report by the NFF and Norco earlier this year. One of the key things that really stuck out to me was that 27% of farmers said that feeling lonely or isolated, has had the biggest impact on their mental health. And then, when we did our Community Survey, which we only wrapped up, I mean, the last probably four to six weeks, one of the top three emotions people felt when it came to engaging with humans of agriculture content was connected. And one person gave us a bit of feedback that said, sometimes you and your podcast guests are the only other voices that I'll hear during the work day. So I just wanted to start off by probably painting a little bit of a picture of it saying, Welcome to this special place that we've somehow created through humans of agriculture. And I'm looking forward to getting to know you a little bit more.
Speaker 2 1:31
For surely, it's great to have a chance to come and have a chat with you and your listeners on what I know is a very well listened to podcast, bumped into people all around the country who are regular listeners to this podcast. And I think you're right. I mean, I've found again, as I travel around the place that podcasts are playing a much more important role in farmer's lives and rural Australia's lives. Because let's face it, people spend a lot of time on harvesting equipment and all sorts of other things on their own. And these days, they can actually listen to something depending what the mobile signals like I suppose. So yeah, this plays a really important role in sharing different people's experiences and thoughts. And I'm really happy to be able to be a part of it.
Oli Le Lievre 2:12
I'm interested and I want to start off your boy from Queensland, and we won't touch on the last couple of weeks of how it's been for Queensland has been now the Brisbane Lions and the Broncos probably didn't have that.
Speaker 2 2:21
It hasn't been our finest hour, you know, might add to that very big chip on our shoulder here in Queensland.
Oli Le Lievre 2:25
You've got the Olympics coming up in a few years. So we're just focused ahead, boy, we do. I really want to know, so this kid from Queensland, did you ever have any intention of finding yourself in agriculture?
Speaker 2 2:36
My honest answer is that I probably never, never sort of set out to work in agriculture. But there was enough in my family history that makes it not an entire surprise that I've ended up in this role. And I think also one of the things about agriculture, and I guess having the privilege of being a minister is it's what you make of it. And there are many aspects of my life that intersect with agriculture in some way. Whether it be as a consumer of food as someone who's interested in regional Australia, or ever since I've been involved in politics and public policy, I've always been drawn to regional issues. And again, that might be a little bit about my family background, or it might be about coming from Queensland, which is such a decentralized state. So I guess there are enough signals there that I might might end up in this role, even though I didn't necessarily and, you know, I think I'm one of many people who may not necessarily come directly from that background, not not having been personally a farmer. But you know, these days, agriculture is such a broad Korea that there's a place for so many different people with different skills and experiences. And I'm lucky enough to be one of them.
Oli Le Lievre 3:43
So your previous life, you were a lawyer, Chief of Staff, what was it that drew you into politics, because it is an all consuming task when you step in?
Speaker 2 3:50
It is and I look everyone at my 50 years, if not more, as a result of it. And I have been involved in politics mom or another probably since I was about 20. So I grew up in Brisbane. And politics was something that my family talked about a lot growing up. It's interesting. My father's side of the family. My dad, as you may be aware, grew up on a dairy farm outside of Mackay in North Queensland. And so my dad's side of the family mainly come from farming backgrounds. And not surprisingly, I've probably more a bit National Party leaning. But my mom's side of the family were more, I guess, working class urban people and more lean to the labor side. And basically, as early as I can remember, politics and what was going on in the world was something that was always being discussed in our household and whether whenever we went and visited family members, with a family background like that, you'd get family members who would disagree. And I found that interesting. And yeah, so I think as I say, as long as I can remember, it's been discussed, and it was something that was important. And I think for me, I sort of always felt it was a way to make a contribution to society. And I think each of us contributes in whichever way we're best suited to, as you say, The early parts of my career, I worked as a lawyer. And this sounds a bit corny, but I did go into law because I wanted to make make the world a better place. I thought by helping people through the law, that would be a good way to do it. But I sort of found it a bit frustrating after some time that I still felt like the system was stacked against the kind of people who I was representing. And, for me, the better way to try to change that was to get into politics. And, you know, maybe I've made a couple of things a little bit better along the
Oli Le Lievre 5:26
way to try and change the system instead. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 5:29
yeah. That's, I'll keep on trying one day, we'll get there.
Oli Le Lievre 5:32
How does someone end up as the agriculture minister? Minister, because I feel like this is a fascinating panel, I've spoken to a few different people, there is only one of you in these roles. And yeah, like, how does it actually come to? One? Obviously, your government's got to come into power. But two, did you, I guess, nearly lobby yourself and position yourself for this role.
Speaker 2 5:52
Again, I don't think I have a sort of directly was angling for the role. But all of the work that I'd done as a senator, for six years, in Queensland, I think it was a bit of a natural fit. And, as I say, I've been someone who's always been very comfortable traveling Well, outside capital cities, into regional areas, rural areas, I like to think I'm able to communicate well with rural and regional people. And again, I think that's partly about my family background, a lot of the people I meet with, when I'm on farms, or in regional towns, very much like my extended family. And I'm really interested in the sort of issues that come up in regional Australia. I think that, you know, no matter where you live, you do have a right to a certain level of service from a government. You know, it's unrealistic to think that there's going to be a major tertiary hospital, in every country town across the country, but you want to be able to access these kinds of things reasonably easily. And so yeah, I had spent a lot of time working in regional Queensland in particular, but as time went on the whole of the country, and I was fortunate, you know, after the election, I wasn't in the shadow cabinet before the election and didn't necessarily expect to be in the cabinet. But that's the way things turned out. And the prime minister had a bit of a chat with me about some of the things that he was thinking I could do. And I actually did say, I'd be really keen to take on agriculture, that it was issues that I cared about, I was really keen to write maintain some sort of portfolio that kept me connected to rural and regional Australia, and agriculture is a pretty good one for that. So yeah, it's I think it was partly just a combination of chance and good fortune with having put in the hard yards over the last few years in this space. Yeah, I think we can't be a Senator for Queensland without having a fair bit of contact with the agriculture sector. And that's to be in good stead, I
Oli Le Lievre 7:37
think. Absolutely. And agriculture as an industry is an interesting one, because obviously, we do have such a large footprint in terms of more than 50% of Australia's landmass is actually under agricultural management. But GDP was only circa about 2%. So we're a small player, financially huge in terms of landmass, like, what is the share of voice like? And I guess, the level of Yeah, I guess, respect that agriculture, or the steam that agriculture holds in those bigger and media conversations?
Speaker 2 8:05
Oh, I think that agriculture and regional Australia is held in very high regard, both within our government and in Canberra generally. You know, you're right. I mean, if you look at it in percentage terms, in some ways, it may not be that high. But there are particular sectors within agriculture that are massive contributors, economically for our country, whether you're looking at at a national level, but particularly if you're looking at specific regions, you know, rural Australia would be in a lot of trouble without agriculture. So it really punches above its weight. But that also, I think, that people are coming to understand that if you think about the whole agriculture supply chain, especially post farm gate, there's a lot of that that goes on in our big cities as well, whether it be food processing, or logistics, you know, that's all still part of the agriculture supply chain. You know, the the abbatoirs that we have, a lot of them are in big cities or not far from them. So I think that that means that it is a daily experience. And let's face it, everyone eats, everyone consumes their coffee, or their beer or their products that are made from agriculture. And I think that gives people a direct interest. So I think one of the things I guess I've tried to do, as the Minister has tried to broaden the image of agriculture, of course, farmers and people who work on farms, they're going to always be central to the agriculture sector. But it doesn't just stop there. It's a much broader sector with a much bigger economic footprint. And I think the other important part of it is, it's a huge part of shaping the impression of Australia overseas. I actually gave a speech in Brisbane about this last week, where I was talking about how I think that we can be doing more to think about agriculture as a real part of our foreign policy and how we project our national power. You know, that might be a bit sort of highfalutin to sort of think about it in that way. But if you talk to most people overseas, one of the things I know about Australia is the really high quality, food and fiber that we produce, and I think we need to really take that on board as part of what we offer to the world.
Oli Le Lievre 9:57
Yeah, I agree. And and I think it's interest because I have this, I guess this blue sky, probably maybe even rosy colored glasses view of it. And I think what you're saying, when I think of agriculture, I try and take that whole value chain view. And I try and look at who is anyone who's producing, moving or consuming. And I think it's about bringing in and honoring the key part that everyone with passion plays across it. But then also, I think, when it comes to regions and agriculture, say the agri tourism piece, but also rural Australia, like its tourism, as well, and its marketing, and it is that brand Australia. And I think, in my head, I see it as being a huge opportunity coming into the 2030 to Brazil Olympics to go well, actually, let's really get agriculture and our regions on the map. So people want to come for that. I guess the the gap, and it's part of I guess, the privilege of living in Australia, is this growing disconnect that we've got of urban Australians 83%? In I think it's 2018 just said that they had a distant or non existent connection to agriculture. So how do we elevate that and reconnect agriculture and food and follow up with urban Aziz?
Speaker 2 10:58
Yeah, I think it can be very easily done, because of the amount of contact that urban Australians have with agriculture, whether they think about it directly or not, you know, again, it might be something about Queensland as a decentralized state, but I find that there's a lot of people who live in Brisbane, where I live, who got family connections to the land, that very often are only one generation apart. I'm an example of that. And there's so many other people like that. So there's that element. But again, I think if we get people thinking about agriculture as food, and fiber, in a bit more of a general sense that everyone's got a direct connection to that. And everyone, I think, has an interest in eating good, quality, healthy, clean food. And there's growing interest in that in Australia and overseas. And that's something that we can tap into, you know, there's the whole restaurant, cafe culture is alive and well in every big city of Australia. And it all comes back to products that come off the land, or out of our oceans. And so I think that's a good point of connection as well. I mean, I think we've been putting a fair bit of work into how we're going to attract younger Australians to take up careers in agriculture, particularly younger Australians in the city. And what I found when I've gone to some of the agriculture courses in city high schools, is that when I talk to the kids and talk to the teachers about why they're doing those subjects, what they like about them is the connection to technology, which of course, you know, there's so much technology in agriculture these days and growing by the second, and the sustainability argument around agriculture. And they're things that a lot of industries don't have going for them. So I think there are real points of connection for people in the city, that the sector can be doing more to promote. And we as a government can be doing more to promote as well.
Oli Le Lievre 12:40
I've got a couple of questions I want to finish on. One actually comes out of a discussion I had when I was part of the Australian real leadership program a couple of years ago. And it was this. It's this conversation, which comes in a statement that ties on my mind so much, and it's that the perfect world doesn't exist, and there actually needs to be compromise in order for progress. I'm interested in your decision making Mario, how do you actually approach your decision making knowing that that perfect world doesn't exist? And there is always going to be trade offs?
Speaker 2 13:07
Yeah, look, that's daily life in politics. I guess it probably is in other professions, as well. But it certainly is in politics, because you, you can never get the perfect and that was that phrase not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I think when I'm thinking about agriculture decisions, obviously you start with what is the very best possible outcome, you can get on a topic, you know, whether it be biosecurity or trade, or workforce or sustainability. But of course, in politics, you've got to think about what is doable as well, and what you can get community support for. And that doesn't only just mean doing the popular things, but it means that if you're going to do something that's a bit politically difficult, you've got to put the groundwork in. And there's been a few issues like that, that we've had to deal with that. We've come up with options that aren't, you know, entirely supported. But you want to maximize the amount of support that you can. And sometimes that's by laying the groundwork and getting the information out there so that people know why you're doing something. One of the things I think I've learned in politics is that sometimes you've got to really define the problem that you're trying to solve before you come up with the solution. Because if you come up with some big solution to a problem that people don't know exists, then then again, they're gonna go, Well, why are you doing that? But if they've understood why you've come up with a solution, they may not 100% agree with it, but at least they know why you're doing it. So I think there are ways of, as I say, building community support for decisions. Obviously, every government, depending on their politics is going to have a different view of the world and, and what a good outcome is, and you always kind of connected back to your own values. But yeah, I think, as I say, there's very few decisions that I've been able to make that are ones that I'd regard as entirely perfect, but you want to get them as close to what you think is perfect and what is going to be good for the sector. I mean, of course that's the bundle mental thing you're trying to achieve with every decision you make is that what's going to take agriculture forward, I've got a view of what that is about what taking agriculture forward is, you know, we want to be more sustainable in the future. And we want to make sure that everyone gets a share in it, whether they're the farmer or the farm worker, and you want to make sure that overall, you leave the Secretary in a much better place than how you inherited it, sort of
Oli Le Lievre 15:21
the back of them. What do you hope your legacy is the stage when you exit left and finish up your career? What do you really hope your legacy is that you feel?
Speaker 2 15:28
Yeah, it's funny, I've sort of made it a point not to think too much about my legacy, because I guess I sort of find it a bit arrogant to think about it in that way. And, and, you know, you don't want to sort of I don't want to go in didn't go into politics to sort of have a long list of achievements. But I guess the work that you do every day, whether you like it or not, does leave a legacy. And I think I'm certainly proud of the work that we've done in the biosecurity space since becoming the coming to office. You know, I think it was the my fifth week in the job as a brand new Agriculture Minister, that we faced Foot and Mouth Disease getting to Bali. That was a pretty massive wake up call that, you know, being in government is a responsibility. It's not just about throwing rocks at other people, which is what you're doing when you're in opposition. And I surely had my share of that. But yeah, I think that we have been able to get the biosecurity system in a much stronger space than what it was. And I think that we were able to use that situation along with industry, to educate the broader Australian community about why biosecurity mattered. I think that if you ask your average person in regional Australia, they get it. If you're asked the average person in a big city, before that came along, I don't think they really knew much about what biosecurity was. And I think that we've gotten some way to explaining to people in the big cities as well, why this stuff matters. And that, frankly, that helps me when I go into cabinet when I go into expenditure committees seeking funding for biosecurity if people see it as a real priority. But also, I think, you know, we're obviously doing a lot of work, as I say, in the workforce space to develop the workforce that the sector needs. We're doing a lot of work in the trade space to open up new markets. But I think the other area I'm really passionate about is the sustainability of agriculture. I'm always at pains to tell audiences, whether it be in Australia or overseas about the incredible work that's already happened around climate adaptation and sustainability from the Australian ag sector. But we know we're going to need to do more, we're going to build on that. And one of the things you might have heard me say all the years that I think we've got an incredible opportunity now where we've got both a government and an industry who want to do more in this space, I don't think it's exactly a surprise that to hear that our government is more ambitious on this stuff than probably any government in Australia's history has been. And the industry is really doing a lot as well, you know, so much of the sector has committed to carbon neutral production targets, they've got their net zero goals. And now we've got a government who wants to match that ambition. And I think that really puts the sector in a really good place for the future. Because as I said before, consumers, whether they be here in Australia or overseas are looking for more and more sustainably produced food. And I don't want to see a situation where Australian producers miss out on those overseas markets, because we haven't lifted our game. So that's an area that I'm going to be putting a lot of time into over the next 12 months. Because I think that is the real key to having a successful ag sector, not just in five years, but in 500 years.
Oli Le Lievre 18:25
So one final question, I can't let you get away without answering it. If you have the chance to head down to a metro school and chat to your 10 students about a career in agriculture. What would you tell them about it? And why should they consider as a career?
Speaker 2 18:37
Yeah, well, I've actually literally done that only. I remember, it would have been probably last year now. I went with our federal member grandparent to one of the schools in his electorate. Kirinda. State High. And that's a suburban high school in Brisbane, with an incredible agriculture program. You know, I've obviously, you know, the the Ag programs in the country, as well. But I thought it was really interesting to go one in the city. And as I said before, hearing the kids and hearing the teachers talk about the technology that they get to work with the opportunity to create sustainably produced products. I think they're the biggest selling points for agriculture. And so that's what I've been talking about when I've gone there. We're actually doing some work with agrifutures, the the Research and Development Corporation at the moment, how we can encourage young people to take up careers in ag and how we can shape careers counselors in schools to think about putting ag forward as an option for even for city kids who've never had any connection to it. And I think it is the opportunity to work with technology and sustainability. That is a really quite unique selling point that AG Scott, you know, many careers in the city don't offer you those opportunities. And let's face it, most young people are interested in technology and sustainability. So why not trade on those advantages that eggs got? I think there's there's a real opportunity there.
Oli Le Lievre 19:52
meeting people where they are with things they're interested in makes complete sense. Well, Marie, I know you're very busy man. Thank you so much for taking the time out. to sit down and have a chat, I really appreciate it. Like something special about agriculture, having access to people like yourself and others, it's definitely very special.
Speaker 2 20:08
Oh, and cut both ways. I've had some incredible experiences, on farms in oceans in abbatoirs, all sorts of places that I wouldn't have ever had the chance to go to if I didn't hold this role. And it helps me learn more every day and inspires me to see people out there, doing what they do to take this sector forward. So really, I really want to thank you for your contribution and opportunity to have a chat about
Oli Le Lievre 20:31
beauty. Thank you for that. No worries. Well, that's it for another episode from us here at humans of agriculture. We hope you're enjoying these podcasts and will if you let us know hit us up at Hello at humans of agriculture.com. Get in touch with any guests recommendations topics, or things you'd like us to talk and get curious about. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. Right subscribe, review it, any feedback is absolutely awesome. And we really do welcome it. So look after yourselves. Stay safe. stay sane. We'll see you next time.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai