GrainGrowers paper explores solutions to manage industry risk

GrainGrowers is calling on the grain and agriculture industries to work with government to better plan and coordinate its risk management to prepare for disruptions to grain production, national food security and the economy.

In the High Impact Risks to the Grain Sector Report released today, GrainGrowers has identified the need for the grain industry to work together on risk management strategy.

The report applies the Grey Rhinos matrix – an evolution of the Grey Elephants and Black Swan concepts – to the grain industry.

CEO Shona Gawel said the recent fuel and fertiliser supply and cost issue was but one risk that could impact the industry at any time, and a joined-up response was the only solution.

“The Grey Rhino animal matrix pertains to fast-moving risks that are right before our eyes, but there is a view that industry isn’t adequately prepared to respond,” Ms Gawel said.

“Unfortunately, as GrainGrowers was working on this paper, one of those risks - the vulnerability of input supply chains - became a reality when the Middle East conflict began.

“The Government and industry sprang into action to address the immediate threat, but we could have been better prepared.”

Other examples of risk events covered in the report include the detection of Khapra Beetle in Australia in 2025; the Ad-Blu shortage of 2023; and the industry’s growing dependency on digital infrastructure.

Ms Gawel said the paper was not meant to solve each risk but does demonstrate how better awareness, preparation, and collaboration will help mitigate the severity of future events.

“The risks identified in the paper are well-known, but the piece we are lacking as an industry is the joint approach to better prepare and manage each individual risk,” she said.

“Preparing for these risks requires a coordinated industry-wide effort, as no single organisation has the capacity to address every challenge on its own.

“Building industry resilience requires a collective understanding of the risks and commitment from all stakeholders to play their part in preventing or mitigating their impacts."