Australian Farmers Call for Stronger Focus on Sustainable Agricultural Workforce

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), representing agricultural producers across Australia, renewed its call for policymakers to prioritise the development of a sustainable agricultural workforce as part of national economic and rural policy discussions. The federation emphasised that ensuring a reliable pipeline of skilled and semi‑skilled workers is essential for long‑term food production, regional community viability and the resilience of Australia’s farm sector.

In a submission to the Value of Skilled Migration to Australia Inquiry, the NFF highlighted that while skilled migrants contribute to the agricultural workforce, the sector continues to face acute shortages in unskilled and semi‑skilled roles that are vital during peak production periods such as harvesting and processing. These roles are critical to maintaining productivity and ensuring that domestic production can meet supply demands without resorting excessively to temporary labour schemes.

NFF leadership argued that addressing workforce sustainability requires policy frameworks that support regional liveability and long‑term labour retention, including access to training programs, better regional infrastructure and pathways for career progression in agricultural roles. Industry representatives also noted that failing to address labour shortages could further weaken rural economies at a time when global demand for food and fibre remains strong.

The federation’s advocacy points to broader debates within Australian labour and migration policy about how to balance economic needs with demographic and regional development goals. Ensuring a sustainable agricultural workforce aligns with national climate and sustainability objectives by supporting resilient food systems, promoting local food production and reducing reliance on seasonal or international labour under fluctuating global conditions.

Agricultural-workforce sustainability is a real Social-pillar disclosure issue in a way that headline-level analyses often miss, and it directly affects how agri-food corporates position sourcing and community-partnership narratives. Our supply-chain-and-operations and impact-assessment teams help clients evaluate what workforce-linked exposure means for CSRD, TNFD and Scope 3 disclosure.