Farming and Biodiversity: Looking Beyond Soil Health

At the end of March, I will be part of an interactive panel of local farmers and food manufacturers at the Harvest Riverina Conference 2026, held at the Charles Sturt University Riverina Playhouse in Wagga Wagga. Also on the bill are food and gardening personalities Paul West, Matthew Evans and Clarence Slockee. I’m very much looking forward to the conversation.

The theme this year is ‘Growing Healthy Food Systems Locally’.

What Do We Mean by a ‘Healthy Food System’?

This is a potentially massive topic. It can include issues such as:

Food security and sovereignty
Chemical use
Soil health
Overly processed foods
Loss of knowledge around seasonality and food preparation
Declining access to abattoirs
The underpayment of farmers
Farmer mental health

All of these are highly relevant.

A Question Worth Asking

The issue I will be highlighting, however, is this: Healthy local food systems for whom?

The Missing Piece: Biodiversity

Can we truly have healthy food systems if the biodiversity of our region is highly degraded?

Consider these statistics:

Australia has the world’s highest rate of vertebrate mammal extinction, with over 100 endemic species (including more than 39 mammals) lost in the past 200 years.
Around 60% of Australia’s land mass is privately owned, and 70–90% of under-protected wildlife lives on this land.
Australia produces enough food to feed 90 million people, despite having a population of just 27 million. That is some achievement in terms of agricultural productivity, but it also means we export soil nutrients and water and participate in creating massive food miles.

A Closer Look at Our Region

While those are national statistics, let’s bring it closer to home because that’s what the Harvest Riverina Conference is all about.

Box Gum Grassy Woodland

One of the key habitats in our region is Box Gum Grassy Woodland, which is now critically endangered.

Once widespread from mid-Queensland through New South Wales and into Victoria, it now exists in just 5% of its former range. This represents not only a loss of habitat, but the disappearance of the many species that depend on it.

Native Temperate Grasslands

Another important habitat is Native Temperate Grasslands.

These now exist in only 1% of their original range nationally. Along with them, we’ve lost birds, skinks, butterflies, invertebrates, and a stunning diversity of wildflowers.

Much of this land has been converted to introduced pasture or monoculture cropping such as canola, often celebrated as a tourism drawcard in our region.

Rethinking What We Value

But what if we saw things differently?

Native Grassland on Highfield Farm

Imagine if our rare native grasslands were the tourism attraction.
Imagine if, instead of replacing them, we restored and nurtured them.

Soil Health Is Not Enough

Even if we achieve:

Low food miles
Strong food sovereignty
Access to local processing
Reduced reliance on processed foods

…can we truly call it a healthy food system?

If biodiversity continues to decline, the answer is no.

Building healthy soil is absolutely essential.
But focusing on soil alone is not enough.

It is a reductionist approach that does not address the broader ecological crisis.

Farming With Biodiversity, Not Against It

We need to think beyond soil biology and consider how we actively support biodiversity across our landscapes.

Speaking as a grazier, we can farm productively while creating space for native wildlife.

One of our Maremmas enjoying a well earned break

Our Maremmas enjoying the grassland

Practical Ways Farmers Can Support Biodiversity

There is strong research to support this, and it can be achieved through:

Reintroducing paddock trees as stepping stones for birds and arboreal mammals
Connecting isolated habitat through corridor plantings
Enhancing farm dams
Revegetating creek lines
Grazing on native pastures rather than introduced species

These are practical, achievable actions.

Towards Truly Healthy Food Systems

By taking this approach, we move towards a food system that is not purely human-focused.

Instead, it becomes one that includes and supports our native species, many of which are now highly vulnerable.

A truly healthy local food system is one that works for the land, for farmers, and for biodiversity.

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