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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-06 Daily Xml
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Women in Agribusiness

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:16): I move:

That this council—

1. Raises awareness of the important role women play in agribusiness and in regional South Australia, especially in leadership roles;

2. Notes that women are occupying an increasing number of diverse roles in agribusiness; and

3. Recognises that South Australia continues to encourage more women to pursue careers in agriculture and horticulture as the world's growing demand for our food continues to rise.

I am delighted to rise today to move the private members' motion standing in my name about the significant roles women play in agribusiness and in regional South Australia.

In speaking to the motion, please allow me to put some perspective on why we should pay more attention to women's incredible contribution to primary industry. Women have always been critical contributors to agriculture and food production in Australia and across the world. However, their contributions have been undervalued. They have always been referred to as the growers' or the farmers' wives and daughters.

Their actual contributions and work on the farms were not always appreciated, recognised or acknowledged. Findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2015-16 Census data showed that there were 85,681 farming businesses operating in Australia, and a gross value of $56 billion in agriculture production.

The ABS data also informs us that approximately 78 per cent of farmers are male, whilst 22 per cent are female. Interestingly, the findings of a Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation report shows that women contribute nearly half the total real farm income from their work on-farm, wages off-farm and contribution to the households and their volunteer work for the communities.

While women contribute up to 48 per cent of the total real farm income in Australia, the women in southern Asia could contribute as high as 70 per cent. Talking about women in Asia, a personal story comes to mind. When I was a young teenager visiting Malaysia, my late grandma, who was a tiny little woman with a petite frame—she was no more than five foot tall; a very cute and gorgeous woman she was—I recall that every time I visited her she would measure my shoulders and feet. She said that my feet were far too large to find a husband. She was making her assessment based on what her mother and grandmother had told her.

In the old days of China, where she came from, the practice of foot binding was common. Apparently, in ancient times Chinese families would choose women with small feet as their brides so that these women, apparently, with tiny feet could not possibly run away from those arranged marriages set by their parents.

Anyway, according to my grandmother, relatively speaking of course, my height, my broad shoulders and big feet meant that I was not suitable to be an obedient wife. One thing she was very confident of, though, was that I would be excellent at farming work, and perhaps I should have taken her advice back then. Nevertheless, I am very privileged today to instead have this opportunity to pay tribute to the significant roles that women play in agribusiness and regional communities.

For centuries around the world, women have always worked on the land. In Australia, for more than 50,000 years, our Aboriginal Indigenous women cared for the land and fed their families. Migrant women have also worked alongside their partners and families on farmland across South Australia. I would like to pay special tribute to these incredible women from diverse communities in rural regions for their contribution. In South Australia, since it was officially settled in 1836, women have worked alongside men on farms, but their roles and contributions were not always recognised.

The lack of acknowledgement links back to history. The ideology of a farmer being male was promoted in the late 19th century when Australian politicians decided that women's farm work would no longer be recorded, and that census data would no longer register farm women. Back then, very sadly, women had no land rights and were unable to inherit their family farms. Prior to the 1970s, women's access to agricultural training and education was also very limited, and enrolment to some agricultural colleges was denied.

During the 1980s and 1990s, positive changes emerged from the Australian Rural Women's Movement, enabling farm women to network, campaign and gain recognition. Their significant work had led to a major reform. For the first time in Australian history, in 1994, women finally were legally recognised as farmers by the Australian Law Reform Commission. Since then, the agricultural industry has changed from the image of an old bloke sitting on a tractor relying more or less on Mother Nature, to an industry now incorporating the latest innovation and breakthroughs in science and technology.

Coupled with the changes in the Australian agricultural education system, and opportunities which have also been broadened, the visibility of women in agricultural training and industry programs have increased. The modern day farmers are now experts in plants and animals, business management and marketing. They are equipped with the decision-making skills to improve profitability, reduce costs and increase overall production. We are seeing more women taking on higher education in the technical and scientific fields of agriculture.

Agribusinesses are starting to realise organisations with a more diverse leadership team will perform better. Closing the gender gap will increase productivity through enabling women to engage in decision-making, contributing to the industry and the development of the wider economy. There are now many female agronomists, scientists and growers. It is heartening to see more women are now taking on leadership roles. I am encouraged to see we now have female CEOs in the agriculture and horticulture sectors, which was unheard of before. We have also started to see female representatives on agricultural boards and committees.

On the topic of women on agricultural boards, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a former member of this Legislative Council, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer. With her agricultural background and extensive industry experience, Caroline has been actively involved on numerous boards, local government and regional health boards, and held many high-profile positions, including the chair for the Agribusiness Association of Australia, the chair for the Mid-North Yorke Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, the convener for the Premier's Food for the Future Council, and a member of the natural resources management standing committee.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: The first female agriculture minister.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: I am coming to that, the Hon. Michelle Lensink; thank you for that very valuable interjection. As many honourable members would know, after 16 years of wonderful contributions in parliament as a Liberal member, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer retired in 2010. Upon her retirement, she created a vacancy on the Liberal benches, and I was very privileged to be elected that very year. Those of us who have had the great fortune of knowing and working with Caroline know that she is a proud country woman and she has been a pioneer in our state's parliamentary history.

As the Hon. Michelle Lensink, the Minister for Human Services, rightly pointed out, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer was the first woman in Australia to be appointed to the position of minister for primary industries in 2001. She is an inspiration to me and to many women, a wonderful representation for women in politics, women in agribusiness and women from regional South Australia.

The Liberal Party has been blessed with women from regional South Australia who have the great capacity to give back to our community. One of the dynamic female political leaders among us is no other than the Deputy Premier and Attorney-General, the Hon. Vickie Chapman, in the other place. Vickie was born on Kangaroo Island and was educated at Parndana Area School and Pembroke School before studying law at Adelaide University. She is a longstanding member of Women in Agriculture and Business of SA. Her membership of the WAB predated her membership of the Country Women’s Association.

Vickie is an outstanding cabinet member of the Marshall Liberal government. She is a strong advocate for women and a wonderful role model for women from all walks of life, including rural women. As Attorney-General, she consults widely and handles key pieces of legislation that ensure South Australian laws are providing the best outcomes for our citizens and businesses.

There is another parliamentary colleague who is also from regional South Australia that I would like to acknowledge today. I am, of course, referring to the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston. Born and raised in Renmark, Anne is a proud member of the Riverland community, where she still lives and works. Anne was a primary producer and irrigator, producing commercial cut flowers and implementing irrigation efficiencies on her property that reduced water use by more than 60 per cent. She is a passionate advocate for rural and regional communities and for a balanced approach to water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a hardworking senator like Anne Ruston, who continues to serve the South Australian community and is totally committed to delivering great outcomes in the important portfolios of agriculture and water resources.

Many regional and national organisations have been playing a key role in creating supporting networks for isolated rural women. Organisations such as Women in Agriculture and Business, which I mentioned before, have provided forums for women not only to share experiences but to connect them and support each other. I place my congratulations on the record to highlight the great achievements of WAB and acknowledge the Women in Agriculture and Business of South Australia for celebrating its 100th year (centenary) anniversary last year.

Through the excellent work of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Hon. Tim Whetstone, and Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), the Marshall Liberal government is committed to recognising and celebrating the achievements of our women in rural agricultural industries.

I would like to highlight the South Australian Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Rural Women's Award. The award provides a platform to recognise emerging women leaders who have the desire, commitment and leadership potential to make a greater contribution to primary industries and regional communities. Each year, state and territory winners will compete at a national level. I am very proud to acknowledge the achievements of two outstanding South Australian women who have won the national awards.

The Rural Women's Award state winner in 2012 was Mary Retallack, and Sarah Powell was the state winner in 2015. Both of these women outshone the other state's winners and were recognised as the national winners in those respective years. This year, the South Australian Rural Women's Award recipient is Alex Thomas, who will represent our state at the national final in Canberra in September 2018. We sincerely wish her the best of luck and every success.

Agriculture is essential to food security and economic growth. According to the United Nations, world demand for food will increase by 35 per cent by 2030. In fact, due to economic development and rising incomes, consumers now have a stronger desire for higher quality produce. With a strong food safety record and the quality label we have, the demand for Australian food, both locally and in export markets, is higher than ever before.

South Australia's agriculture, food, wine and forestry industries are a vital part of our state's economy. It is our largest export sector and a major employer. In 2016-17, these industries generated about $22.5 billion in revenue and accounted for 57 per cent of the state's merchandise exports. With our clean environment and premium produce in South Australia, the Marshall Liberal government will encourage diversity in rural leadership, making agriculture a more attractive choice for women, encouraging our women farmers to actively take part in creating a successful and sustainable future for the agriculture and horticulture industries.

If we are to meet the social and economic challenges in the decades ahead, we must challenge traditional stereotypes around how women and men engage in all businesses, industries and sectors. We must break the historical gender gap. We need to engage women and encourage them to take different roles at all levels of the industry. We need to make the invisible agribusiness women visible.

In the current world, where people demand high quality food produce, there are enormous opportunities for a sustainable agriculture industry. It is wonderful to see that more and more women are participating in diverse roles in agribusiness as their chosen careers. We need to create a more conducive environment to encourage our young South Australian women into entering, remaining and leading the agriculture sector. We also need to recognise many women are the silent partners or unsung heroes behind agribusiness because, in many instances, women are working behind the scenes in agriculture and horticulture industries to support their family farm businesses.

The way families, businesses and communities operate in country and outback areas requires very organised, capable, hardworking, nurturing women who contribute everything you could possibly imagine, from raising families, all the way through to leading large businesses in rural South Australia. We must all acknowledge and recognise these unsung heroes. We must make sure our next generation of women farmers are nurtured, supported and recognised at regional, state and national levels.

Through empowerment and diversity encouragement in rural leadership, we can make agriculture and horticulture an attractive career choice for women. I am, indeed, proud to have the opportunity to raise awareness of the important role that women play in agribusiness and in regional South Australia. I commend this motion to the chamber.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.

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