Moving beyond the blame game: the ban on Australian live cattle exports to Indonesia

Lessons to be learnt

• Risti Permani
• The Indo-Pacific Governance Research Centre

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Image: jankie / flickr

04 July 2011The current problems with the Indonesian cattle industry must be seen in the context of a policy regime that seeks to achieve self-sufficiency and food security.

Recently, the Australian Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, suspended live cattle exports to Indonesia after undercover video was broadcast showing inhumane treatment of Australian cattle. The cattle industry is a significant component of the Australian economy. Australian cattle account for up to 40% of Indonesia's beef consumption, and Indonesia buys 60% of Australia's live cattle exports. Aside from its impact on the industry, the ban on the export of live cattle raises a host of important policy and governance challenges for both Australian and Indonesian policy makers. These include such questions as: Is a unilateral export ban the only option? What are the regulatory challenges faced by Indonesian policy makers? What broader lesson can Australia learn from this event? Is an export ban Australia's only option and what can Indonesia and Australia learn from this incident?

This policy brief reviews the following issues:

1. What are the implications of Indonesia's self-sufficiency target for Australian live cattle exports?
2. What are the wider social and economic implications that arise from this incident?

Image: jankie / flickr