Smart map reveals Australian food imports

Thailand, China and Vietnam dominate the importation of frozen and processed seafood to Australia, an interactive smart map has revealed.

Cutting-edge technology from smart mapping giant Esri Australia has clearly visualised on a world map where Australia is sourcing its food from and how much the country is spending on foreign agriculture.

The interactive map displays the top five countries from which Australia imports processed and unprocessed fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, cereal, diary and sugar.

The recent outbreak of Hepatitis A from contaminated frozen berries imported from China and Chile has renewed public debate about the safety of imported food and the impact it has on local growers.

During the past five years, New Zealand remains the major source of food brought into Australia, while, processed food imported from China, particularly fruit and vegetables, has increased.

Esri Australia industry experts compiled data from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) relating to the trade statistics for primary products during and used Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to develop the smart map.

The smart map can be accessed at:
http://arcg.is/1K6ieJz