The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Government’s discussion paper on strengthening Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery in supply chains. Modern slavery is a grave violation of human rights and has no place in Australian agriculture, food production, or any domestic or global supply chain.
The NFF supports a practical and proportionate framework that improves prevention, detection, remediation and accountability while recognising the operating realities of Australian farm businesses. Most farm businesses are small or family-owned enterprises that do not meet the reporting threshold under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), yet they may be drawn into the compliance expectations of larger reporting entities through contracting, procurement and audit requirements.
The NFF’s core submission is that reforms should be risk-based, evidence-led and supported by clear guidance. Any new criminal failure to prevent offence, civil penalty regime, due diligence requirement, high-risk declaration power, deferred prosecution agreement scheme or victim remedy pathway must avoid imposing uncertain, duplicative or disproportionate burdens on farmers and small businesses that lack the market power, resources and visibility of larger corporations.
View NFF’s full submission here.