A systems thinking approach to Australian agrifood: report and resources now available

The agrifood sector is one of Australia’s greatest assets. It feeds 27 million Australians, tens of millions more overseas, underpins regional communities and carries Australia’s reputation into premium markets round the world.

But many of the challenges facing the sector today are increasingly interconnected and extend beyond agrifood alone.
To better understand how Australian agrifood can respond to this growing complexity, AgriFutures Australia commissioned the project A Systems Thinking Approach to Australian Agrifood, delivered by the Australian AgriFood System Alliance. The final report and suite of practical resources are now available.

The project explored how systems thinking could build on agrifood’s existing strengths and connect expertise, investment and action across sectors to address shared national challenges. In line with the vision of Ambitious Australia, it considered where agrifood could work with sectors such as energy, mining, health and defence to create new opportunities and shared value.

At its core, systems thinking is a practical way of understanding complex challenges. Rather than looking at issues in isolation, it examines how people, policies, infrastructure, markets, incentives and behaviours interact to shape outcomes – helping identify where coordinated action can have the greatest impact.

The project drew on an extensive evidence base, including more than 30 Australian reports and reviews, 17 international agrifood examples, more than 100 stakeholder consultations and a systems thinking workshop involving more than 200 participants.

One of the clearest findings was that Australia’s agrifood system already has significant strengths. Deep expertise, strong collaboration and a world-leading RDC model provide a solid foundation for future success. However, the research also found that no single organisation, industry or sector can address today’s complex challenges alone. Greater impact is likely to come from connecting existing effort, investment and expertise more deliberately around shared national priorities. The project identified six interconnected challenges shaping the future of Australian agrifood:

1. Climate and environmental resilience
2. Energy transition and emissions
3. Water security
4. Supply chain resilience and food security
5. Trade and geopolitical dynamics
6. Workforce and regional communities

A key recommendation is to move beyond theory and learn through practical application. The report suggests that systems thinking is best developed by testing it on real-world challenges, building capability through experience, and refining approaches over time.

To support this, the project has developed a suite of ready-to-use tools and resources that can be applied by organisations, industries, researchers, governments and community groups interested in exploring a systems approach. These include a 10-step systems thinking process, an interactive Australian agrifood systems map, a stakeholder directory of more than 400 organisations, candidate mission areas, mission opportunity cards and supporting implementation resources.

The resources can help users explore challenges from different perspectives, identify potential collaborators, and test new ways of working across sectors and disciplines.

The final report, supporting resources and explanatory video are now available on the project webpage.

We encourage anyone interested in the future of Australian agrifood, innovation, regional development or cross-sector collaboration to explore the materials and consider how the tools might be applied in their own work.

The evidence is assembled, the tools are available, and the opportunity now is to put them into practice.