While Australia no longer rides upon the sheep’s back, strong economic and cultural links with agriculture remain and our economy is still intrinsically linked to agricultural production.

As the so-called ‘strawberry sabotage’ clearly demonstrates, accidental or deliberate biosecurity breaches present very real existential and economic threats to Australia that can harm agricultural exports as well as impact food security and trigger concerns about its safety.

This report highlights the importance of Australia’s effective and successful plant and animal biosecurity systems and border protection services to our wellbeing and economy, and adds a further perspective on new and emerging threats that need to be addressed.