Latest news with #MichaelRobertson
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Food system's billions of 'hidden costs' a sick outlook
Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis." Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis." Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis." Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis."
West Australian
2 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Food system's billions of 'hidden costs' a sick outlook
Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Food system's billions of 'hidden costs' a sick outlook
Millions of Australians are being let down by a national food system that is cultivating insufficient fresh produce, contributing to high obesity rates and diet-related diseases, a first-of-its-kind report has found. The CSIRO report, released on Monday, found such "hidden costs" could be as much as $274 billion - the highest of any equivalent system worldwide. The agency's research examined Australia's network of food production, processing, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption to strengthen it against sustainability challenges and boost the delivery of healthy food. Among key issues in the $800 billion system - underpinned by 100,000 farmers - was a scarcity of fresh produce ending up on the tables of Australian consumers. "Australia's food system does not produce enough vegetables to meet recommended daily intakes," the report by the nation's science agency said. "The promotion of convenient, highly processed foods is costing the Australian economy billions (of dollars) in lost productivity from the impact of preventable, diet-related diseases." There was a "significant opportunity for communities, governments and businesses to work together to create future food environments that are healthier, more sustainable and more equitable". Australia's "industrialised food system" included many high-quality and safe items, but was also associated with obesity and diet-related diseases at epidemic levels. This was linked to the poor diet of the average Australian, who ate too few fruit and vegetables and too many nutrient-poor "discretionary foods". "Displacement of healthy foods with discretionary foods means that many Australians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies despite the relative abundance of food," the report said. There was also uneven access to grocery stores for healthy diet choices, room for improvement on food safety, and widespread food insecurity across the country, according to the report. About 3.4 million households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the past 12 months, while 31 per cent of remote Indigenous people experienced food insecurity, it said. In addition to impacts on human health, hidden costs include animal welfare, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and air, soil and water degradation, and food waste. "This national stocktake provides an evidence base to guide our actions as social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities shift," CSIRO agriculture and food director Michael Robertson said. "We have an intergenerational responsibility to pursue these goals vigorously." Foodbank chief operating officer Sarah Pennell said the findings confirmed the charity's observations from operations around the country. "Too many Australians are struggling to afford and access nutritious food," Ms Pennell said in a statement. "It's especially concerning that fresh fruit and vegetables, essential for good health, are among the first things to be cut from household budgets when money is tight. "Good nutrition is a basic right, not a luxury, and this report reinforces the urgency of addressing Australia's growing food insecurity crisis."
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Broadband internet outage affects thousands in New Zealand; causes and explained
Contact Energy broadband users faced a major internet disruption. The outage impacted users in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Devoli, the network provider, traced the problem to a route reflector in Sydney. Devices in Auckland and Wellington were restarted to fix the issue. Contact Energy confirmed that services are now restored. The company is investigating the cause of the outage. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in International 1. Gary Lineker leaves BBC after controversial "rat" post depicting antisemitic insult Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Residents across New Zealand faced internet outage between 7 and 8:30 PM on Tuesday (May 20, resulting in a large portion of online work coming to a halt. Contact Energy broadband customers across New Zealand, including those in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, experienced the outage, which was attributed to a route reflector issue in Sydney, according to network service provider outage continued for a couple of hours before Contact Energy reports services were restored. The broadband service provider is investigating the cause of the outage."Due to slow response we have restarted devices in Auckland and Wellington," Devoli wrote. "Investigation ongoing."The company later stated that services were being progressively restored while engineers actively monitored the chief retail officer Michael Robertson confirmed that the company's broadband service was back up and running. 'We are working to find out why and how this happened.'Contact Energy has advised customers still experiencing problems to turn their modem off and back on. More than a 100,000 people in New Zealand use Contact broadband media users shared their experiences of the outage. A post on the Vic Deals Facebook page asking about internet loss received 139 comments from users across Wellington person commented: 'Sitting round the table for dinner for once cos there isn't any wifi'.Another said, 'All I want to do is watch some YouTube videos for background noise until I fall asleep'.Gorilla Technology chief executive Paul Spain explained that outages can stem from various issues. These include misconfiguration, equipment failure, or even cyber attacks.'The resolution will depend ultimately on the cause,' he said. 'Appropriately there is redundancy built in to Internet providers networks to reduce the risk of large-scale outages - and these same redundant mechanisms can also be helpful when there is a significant failure.'Spain clarified the role of a route reflector. He said it is critical equipment that helps networks determine the best path for data transmission.'For instance when you want to stream a movie, your Smart TV, phone or computer needs to connect and retrieve the video data across the internet from an appropriate streaming server.'Chorus reported fixing vandalism that took hundreds of Aucklanders offline a few days prior to this event.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Cause of widespread broadband internet outage in major cities unknown
Contact Energy says it's working out how a widespread outage to its broadband internet services occured. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Contact Energy says it's working out how a widespread outage to its broadband internet services occured. On social media, people in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch reported problems with internet access between 7 - 8.30pm on Tuesday. Contact's chief retail officer Michael Robertson says its broadband service is now back up and running following a brief and unexpected outage. A message on the company's website says if people are still experiencing problems to turn their modem off and back on. More than a hundred-thousand people are Contact broadband customers. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
