Food systems are a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to approximately one-third of the global total. Despite this significant contribution, public understanding of the link between food systems and climate change is limited. This lack of awareness may stem from insufficient media coverage. Australia, a high per capita GHG emitter with a substantial agricultural sector (contributing 13.5% of total emissions, although likely underestimated), provides a crucial case study. Existing research primarily focuses on livestock's role in climate change, with limited analyses of broader food system impacts and Australian media coverage. This study addresses this gap by analyzing Australian newspaper articles to investigate the extent, frequency, and content of reporting on food systems' contribution to climate change.

While numerous studies examine media coverage of climate change broadly, research specifically focusing on the media's portrayal of food systems' climate impact is scarce. Existing analyses often concentrate on livestock agriculture and its GHG emissions, consistently finding low coverage and limited accountability assigned to governments or the industry. A US-based study found only 2.4% of articles mentioned food systems' contributions to climate change. This study aims to expand on this limited research by examining Australian media coverage, considering the unique context of Australia's agricultural economy and government policies.

This study employed a media analysis of twelve major Australian newspapers (both print and online) between August 2011 and August 2021 using the Factiva database. The search terms included various keywords related to climate change. Articles were included if at least 50% of their paragraphs related to climate change. A coding framework categorized articles based on their mention of food systems, level of focus on food systems, identification of food systems as contributors to climate change, and specific components of food systems implicated (production, processing, packaging, distribution, storage, preparation, and consumption). Two researchers independently screened and coded the articles, with a 10% inter-rater reliability check resulting in over 95% agreement for key codes. Descriptive statistics and content analysis examined article frequency, volume, and content.

Of the 2892 climate change articles analyzed, only 13% (n=380) mentioned food systems. A small percentage (5%, n=144) addressed food systems' contribution to climate change, with even fewer (less than 1%) focusing substantially on the issue. Most articles highlighting food systems' impact emphasized food production (79%), particularly livestock and methane emissions from cattle. Articles mentioning food consumption (21%) focused primarily on dietary choices and food waste. Conversely, a larger proportion of articles (8%, n=224) examined climate change's impact on food systems, mainly focusing on negative effects on agriculture. Coverage increased over time but remained limited. The Sydney Morning Herald published the most articles, followed by The Australian. The Guardian, despite a shorter presence in Australia, had comparable coverage to The Sydney Morning Herald in the period following the Guardian's establishment of Australian offices (2014-2021). Most articles focused on a national perspective, with New South Wales receiving the most attention.

The findings reveal limited Australian media coverage of food systems' contribution to climate change, despite its significant environmental impact. While coverage is increasing, it remains insufficient to bring the issue into mainstream public discourse. This limited coverage may be influenced by several factors including the powerful lobbying efforts of the agriculture industry and resistance from the Australian government to implement relevant policies. The higher proportion of articles discussing climate change's effects on food systems could be related to public perception of farmers and the agricultural sector. The competition for media attention among various global issues also plays a role. Advocates need to actively engage with journalists and frame the issue compellingly to increase media attention.

This study highlights the limited media coverage of the critical link between food systems and climate change in Australia. Increased and improved media attention is necessary to raise public awareness and drive policy action. Future research should investigate the framing of media coverage to better understand how to improve public engagement on this critical issue.

The headline search might have missed relevant articles. While inter-rater reliability was high for most codes, a formal statistical measure was not employed. The analysis focused on newspapers, excluding other media channels (e.g., television, social media).