ASSESSMENT 4 - PROPOSAL FOR A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN

Executive Summary

Community engagement programme is a crucial factor to develop a sustainable plan for eradication process in banana freckle outbreak in NT. In this report, proper acknowledgement of stakeholders is the most prioritised attribute. Inclusion of regulatory bodies can influence proper attainment of eradication process. In this study, development of statutory obligation has been displayed to show the effectiveness of significant eradication process. Additionally, regional position and financial issue of agriculture and banana industry has been proposing to acknowledge a significant gap in eradication processing 2013. Further, a recommendation on eradication process while dealing with community engagement programme has been developed to promote a better pathway.

Assignment 4

Introduction

Banana Freckle was first witnessed in Northern Territory of Australia in 2013. In order to mitigate spread of this disease a management programme was conducted until 2017. This programme tried to reduce the spread by removing affected banana plants. Agriculture industry has encountered huge damage due to removal of banana plants in mass. In order to recommend another way to stop this spread this proposal has been created while observing commercial structure of agriculture industry. Community engagement programme will be developed in this study while a concentration on an evidence-based argumentative framework for proposing a better way of dealing with the disease is going to be demonstrated. Additionally, regulations and policies that surround statutory obligation will be presented in this study to acquire a better event management programme for this study. Potential issues regarding agency roles will be presented in this context to understand major challenges of stakeholders' engagement. In addition, recommendations for communication strategies and communal engagement plans will be described in this study for a successful disease mitigation process. 

Problem framing

The major issue that has been encountered previously in Australia was a huge loss in commercial context of agricultural product exporting. About 95% market is made up of Cavendish bananas in Australian market (McMaster et al. 2020). Destruction of a huge number of plants pushed country towards a huge loss. This issue needs to be improvised through engagement of a better process community engagement programmed without removing banana trees in a massive way. In addition, insecurity measurements have integrated issues as lack of cognitive awareness presented a critical path to choose for stopping the disease. In a word, scientific approach inclusion has provided a hindrance in agriculture industry for banana farming. Domestic and hobby farms have encountered issues during banana freckle spread due to a lack of awareness of scientific techniques utilized in farming.

Currently, in Australia, 29 affected sites are present. Mainly these areas are present in Batchelor-Rum Jungle. Additionally, this disease has been detected in Marrakai, Melville Island in 2022. The eradication of banana plants has also been taken into consideration for stopping the spread in these areas. The National Management Group has decided to eradicate the affected banana trees. It can be helpful in stopping the spread; however, environmental impact will be attained along with this eradication. Nowadays increment in air pollutants such as SO2, and CO2 can only be improvised through inclusion of greeneries. Eradication is inducing problems in climate adaptation. Following rules of biosecurity can be a potential methodology to eliminate this issue in the first place while incurring prohibited actions from biosecurity in NT. Additionally, loss due to eradication of banana plants can be reduced through implementation of only host trees, not unaffected trees. Issues due to eradication of unaffected trees are needed to be improvised through integration of proper biosecurity techniques. 

Geographic Location and Potential Impacts on Industry

In NT Banana Freckle has been discovered after declaring a "banana freckle-free" country in 2019. These fungal diseases rationales rough sandpaper-like spots on banana plants. In 2022, in Batchelor-Rum Jungle area, this disease was again observed. ‘Phyllosticta Cavedishii’ is a fungus that has been found in Cavendish bananas causing this disease (Abc.net.au, 2022). The disease causes productivity in banana trees. Although banana remains edible, their productivity yield is decreased simultaneously after infection. Basically, it creates a limiting factor within plants' photosynthesis process. After the huge loss in 2013 in Darwin city which is 105 Kilometres away from Batchelor-Rum Jungle, development of better practices needs to be integrated into agriculture (Theguardian.com, 2022). The banana industry of Australia mainly depends upon commercially and domestic 0producrttion of Cavendish bananas. The industry nearly values above $500 million. In case this disease happens, a huge loss in production is consumed by industry. In 2013 about $26 billion was consumed in Australia. Thousands of banana plants were eradicated at that time. NT's commercial market encountered a wipeout situation due to this eradication programme. Six red zones were spotted in that situation and those areas were abolished to stop spread. Additionally, $ 5 million was produced by the NT. Due to this eradication; a huge loss was induced within agriculture industry. Importing structures encountered a huge problem in daily living as this eradication was mandated back then. Several residents and business owners felt this process was poorly communicated and conducted while yielding a huge loss in marketplace. About 127 properties were not able to cooperate in this situation by denying permission for eradication. A serious threat was imposed due to removal of plants in 5500 to 6000 places (Abc.net.au, 2022). Even private backyard was also eradicated for stopping this spread in 2013. The industry also obtained losses due to a decrease in banana prices in 2013. A price war between Coles and Woolworths was seen in that situation that induced specific problems in purchasing behaviour of customers. Additionally, reliability of banana imports from interstate encountered several damages due to inclusion of a lower production rate in this situation. Although there is no risk in eating the affected banana, generally, customers rejected this type of fruit in the first place causing a loss in supermarkets. It can be stated that inclusion of this pest has integrated severe damage to the banana industry while hampering business of supermarkets. Government's income from Cavendish banana imports also decreased due to this spread. Due to a lack of awareness of biosecurity decontamination protocols among farmers. 

Community Setting

In order to acquire proficiency in eradication process of affected plants, awareness of biosecurity is the most important factor. Among the stakeholder of the programme, critical thinking should be developed to introduce an optional process for stopping this disease. For instance, the awareness of biosecurity according to "Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007" needs to be implemented within stakeholders' work processes. Section 12 of Part 2 of this act has developed clear norms on prohibited action to develop a better biosecurity programme (Legislation.wa.gov.au, 2022). In this section, it has been stated that organisms that can affect another organism adversely can be eradicated. However, it has not mentioned unaffected organisms. This needs to be followed in eradication process. Additionally, the unlisted organism should not be planted. Main awareness among farmers is needed to be implemented to stop this pest in the first place. In accordance with Duong et al. (2021), biosecurity threats have integrated major issues in controlling pests and diseases. In case the government is intended to reduce this issue, implementation of farmers' perception is needed to be induced in eradication process. Smallholder farmers' perception is also needed to be integrated within eradication process to acquire sustainability in a commercial structure. Expert-led eradication can employ a better risk management strategy for this huge eradication process. Further, their living costs are needed to be summed up for acquiring several safety measurements for pest organisms. Prohibition on the movement of planting bananas unless a certain condition is met needs to be implemented. Instant destruction of banana aphids and infected banana plants can be induced in eradication awareness campaigns. Restriction on importation of plant materials and used agricultural equipment can be integrated to reduce banana freckles. In addition, mandatory measures to deal with biosecurity risks need to be induced in a contaminated area. However, issues in biosecurity measurement can be reduced effectively through inclusion of farmers' education. Almost 9 out of 10 adults in NT have literacy skills (Abc.net.au, 2022a). Therefore, a campaign on biosecurity measurement for this type of disease mitigation can be a crucial step for professionals and government. Additionally, governmental regulation can be followed in community programmes to reduce this transmission. In this context, competitive interest needs to be kept aside for acquiring a sustainable growth form for business. People are needs to acknowledge severity of this disease while accumulating information regarding the spread of this disease. In addition, inclusion of resources based on several stages of this disease is needed to be acknowledged. This industry also needs to share information regarding new detection of any disease in a regional context (Outbreak.gov.au, 2022). National information regarding any new detection and swift6 response process is needed to be included within biosecurity protocols to assist banana growers more effectively. Additionally, sufficient information regarding informing the government is needed to be included within biosecurity protocols to incorporate proficiency in banana cultivation. Due to reduction of healthy leaves, a banana yields lower production. However, fruit quality is not decreased in this case. That is why detection of this disease needs everyday surveillance of banana trees. Acknowledgement of spread process of this disease is also required in the first place. For instance, wind-driven rain can increase the spread more rapidly. Similarly, water droplet splashes can also help in speedy spread of this disease from host trees to unaffected trees (Industry.nt.gov.au, 2022). This knowledge needs to be induced in community programme process for acquiring effectiveness in stopping banana freckle in the first place.

Agencies with regulatory responsibilities

Bananas are an important crop in Australia, as over 94% of bananas are grown in Queensland alone. In the financial year 2019-2022, almost 381 676 tonnes of bananas has been produced in Australia valued for valued $596.2 million (Business.qld.gov.au, 2022). However, the Banana freckle–Cavendish strain possesses a significant impact on the banana and the Australian economy. The Australian Government is one of the significant agencies in monitoring and coordinating the management of the event of banana freckle eradication. The government of Australia has introduced "Biosecurity Act 2014" which prohibited Banana freckles. Statutory regulations for stopping spread of disease like a banana freckle. Keeping risk factors in mind biosecurity risks are needed dot be presented in front of farmers. Agencies of regulatory bodies conducting a biosecurity campaign need to create a high-profile interdisciplinary campaigning process. Other than Genetic Modification, Synthetic Biology can be induced to reduce this issue. However, genetic modification can also be utilised to provide better guidance for reducing these issues. Other than this type of technical process inclusion of generalized regulatory protocols needs to be implemented to sustain a freckle-free growth of banana trees. It can be stated that inclusion of governmental norms can be implemented in governmental regulation formation through proper incursion management.

Permitted organisms as mentioned in Section 11 of "Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007" need to be listed for acquiring sustainability in Biosecurity inclusion. It can be stated that consultation with Biosecurity council can be integrated into Biosecurity texture. Community programme needs to develop a similar format to bring this attribute in importing organism into Australia. Additionally, carrying prescribed potential carriers needs to be reduced. This can be integrated into a campaign to guide farmers towards reducing spread of banana freckles. In Northern Queensland 96% of banana production takes place. Keeping this information in mind restrictions on movement of fruits are needed to be imposed instantly (Agriculture.gov.au, 2022). Spread in Top End in 2019 has again induced risk factors in this industrial context. Reduction in spread of this disease can be negatr5ed in case Biosecurity agencies of government take action on time. Incursion process is needed to be acknowledged by farmers to acquire sustainability within Cavendish banana farming. Relevant acquisition of monitoring process can be integrated within statutory regulation creation and campaigning process to make it sustainable for progression in community programme introduction. The principles are based on using biodiversity engagement engines that can help in the effective engagement of the community. There are various engines built in representing "cogwheels" that help in indication in various stages of this engagement such as design, formation and implementation. 

Formation: This formation is included with goals setting in various scenarios of biodiversity and this also helps in the engagement of resources and strategies. This provides an understanding of the pathway through various risks that may have been addressed and entered into the building of plans in mitigating risks involved among stakeholders. 

Design: The design is based on an analysis of target groups that are to be addressed with biodiversity and has an effective way of their engagement. There is a selection of stakeholders that are to be improved in meetings. 

Implementation: It is, to begin with, interactions with smallholders and stakeholders against risks that are taken in biodiversity risks with the inclusion of new challenges and opportunities.

The community engagement process can be inclusive in case of initiation of a two-tailed conversation is conducted. It only can be acquired through smooth implementation of the acknowledgement process for farmers. Statutory agencies are required to establish a creative form for crucial community engagement programmes.

Rationale for engagement

Principles

Ethical inclusion is needed to be integrated into the community engagement process. In the case scenario, it has b been observed that a legal issue has been raised due to eradication programme. These issues can be mitigated in the first place by creating a foundation for ethical principles formation. 

1. Equal participation in the engagement programme is needed dot be induced within eradication process. In case a negative report is found on Banana trees eradication of those trees is needed to be stopped. Removal of banana freckle-free trees must not be conducted in eradication process. It can be stated that this process needs to be followed by all banana growers. No discrimination should be conducted in eradication process. Keeping this format in mind eradication can take place. 
2. All the people of NT need to acquire information regarding any spread of the disease. Empowering and encouraging people to knowledge acknowledge recent facts about any outbreak need to be subsumed. Before eradication process all stakeholders such as farmers, statutory agencies and distributors are needed to be informed. 
3. Deliberation of genuine information can help in reducing issues in involved participants. Existing issues regarding spread of banana freckle must be integrated into farmers' minds to acquire a sustainable context within decision-making process. It can be stated that inclusion of in-depth issues regarding this spread can be advantageous for participants for conducting a better opportunity in a campaign.
4. Shared commitment towards addressing the stakeholders can be a fruitful principle for reducing conflict in community engagement. This can reduce the issues in eradication process. Objectives of eradication process also need to be shared to acquire a better commission structure for a community programme. Impulsive response to continuous participation can be integrated into community engagement.

Objectives

Objectives on the other hand are to create a sustainable commercial growth structure for mitigating issues related to eradication process of agencies. Boundaries for effective management need to be mitigated through inclusion of objectives based on multifaced environment engagement in NT's community. The main objective is to develop a better biosecurity structure for banana farming. Additionally, reduction of loss in banana industry while tackling with continuous spread of banana freckles. Additionally, the engagement of farmers is needed to be evaluated for the acquisition of sustainable growth forms for farmers while involving regulatory norms effectively in incursion process. Major issue regariding implementation of eradication process is needed to be reduced in the first place.

Stakeholder analysis

According to Pedrini & Ferri, (2018), with the help of understanding the stakeholder in a business or organisation and going through their capabilities as well as the feature of those stakeholders, gives a boost to the effectiveness of any project. In order to manage the decision-making process and the effectiveness of the strategy, stakeholders play an effective role. A great alliance with the stakeholders makes a great scope for the project to become successful. In the case of the banana freckle incident that took place in the NT, in the city of Darwin, in 2014, a programme was launched to help omit the effects on the bananas (Lucidcentral.org, 2022). The national banana freckle eradication programme that was under the help of the EPPRD, until this day is known to be the most successful programme that was launched (Federalfinancialrelations.gov.au,2022). In the programme there was a great combination between all the stakeholders were seen. In Australia, the shareholders who were most affected were, The Australian Banana Growers Council, Horticulture Australia, the government of the Northern Territory and the locals were also to be counted. The non-commercial banana growers were also affected by this outbreak of the banana freckle disease.

In order to analyse the stakeholder engagement in the banana freckle incident, it can be stated that preventive methods could have been taken for the presentation of the complete eradication of the banana trees from all of the Northern Territory. It can also be stated that the refusal of the commercial farmer's low cooperation for the eradication of the banana trees did bring difficulty for the stakeholders to engage more in the process. In this regard, it could have been mitigated if the stakeholders were eager in offering ample amounts of compensation to the farmer in place of the eradication of the huge source of bananas. In other instances that were reported it was seen that the people were not cooperative enough as well as the intervention of the police was seen as the case. 

McMaster, et al. (2020) stated that the stakeholder's participation in the banana freckle project gets argued as the participation was rarely to be seen. Only the active participation of the EPPRD was seen to be distinctively appropriate. The urgency of the case of banana freckles had to be taken into urgent consideration and immediate eradication was necessary. The involvement of the national and the state government, to name horticulture Australia, a national management group was seen to be exact. These departments are also part of the stakeholders engaged is the case of the banana freckle outbreak in the northern territory. The minimal amount of engagement in the banana freckle case of the stakeholders forced those in power to take control of the problem. This case of the banana freckle points outs the threats to biosecurity, clearly. 

Recommendations

Different recommendations based on the situation of the case of banana freckle can be done judging the investment of the stakeholders. Due to the obstacle that came with the social as well as the capital, the formation of mistrust between the locals of the Northern Territory, especially in Darwin city and the government was clearly to be seen (Abc.net.au, 2022a). There was a compensation allotment for the farmers but in many instances related to the case, it was seen that the locals were not satisfied with the amount that they were being offered as compensation. This elaborated the fact that the compensation was not up to the mark of the destruction that came with the eradication programme of the freckled bananas (Nt.gov.au, 2022). In this case, giving the locals the appropriate knowledge on the causes of the eradication a swell and the possibilities of betterment in the future could have mitigated the problems of misunderstanding. 

The stakeholders were aware of the situation and had a better understanding of the problems in banana cultivation. The stakeholders could have worked together in formation with the higher authorities in order to address better the issues that were causing the problems and could have made efforts to implement effectively the eradication programme. The gap that got created because of the less engagement in the community and this created a block in the information. The stakeholders who have less power than the government must have been included if they were to omit the problems of eradication. 

The researchers and the scientists were better aware of the causes and the problems of the causes of the incident that took place in the city of Darwin. Biosecurity needs more attention rather than in other areas of Australia for the better preservation of nature. This information could have been transferred to the local by the higher authorities in order to gain better development. The numbered of motivation, knowledge and skill can be seen to be important in this aspect. 

The stakeholders need to be unbiased when it came to decision-making and every little point should have been equally considered in this case. This type of conflict could have been solved by logical and radical questioning and proper presentation of answers. The last thing that the authority must not have taken for granted was educating the people in the condition of the spoil so that the problems were solved even before they turned big. 

Conclusion

This study can be concluded by stating that the incident of the banana freckle disease could have been mitigated with the proper education of the locals. The NRM professionals, those who are always studying the soil, water and air quality needed to be more approachable to making the knowledge of the biosphere widespread, so that the locals with the help of the student could have understood the importance of the natural resources. The effective use of the framework MERI could have also indicated the situation is the evaluations were made earlier than this. Furthermore, the stakeholder engagement needed to be evaluated in order to understand the proper delivery of action that each stakeholder was supposed to play. The proper methods could have been implemented so that these problems could be mitigated in the way of further development.

Reference

Journals

Duong, T. T., Luck, J., & Zander, K. K. (2021). Understanding the intention to use biosecurity management strategies on-farm: A study of Vietnamese farmers in Australia. The Social Science Journal, 58(4), 499-513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2019.05.004

McMaster, C. A., Tran‐Nguyen, L. T. T., Voutsinos, M. Y., Cook, S. E., Condé, B. D., West, S. J., ... & Liberato, J. R. (2020). Outbreak of freckle disease (Phyllosticta cavendishii) on Cavendish bananas in Australia and the initial biosecurity response. Plant Pathology, 69(1), 38-49. DOI: 10.1111/ppa.13108

Websites

Abc.net.au, 2022. Banana freckle disease found in the Northern Territory again Retrieved on 23.11.2022, from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-01/banana-freckle-disease-returns-to-northern-territory/101115730

Abc.net.au, 2022a. Almost nine out of 10 adults in remote NT Indigenous communities lack basic literacy skills, report finds Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-12/majority-adults-remote-indigenous-nt-lack-basic-literacy-skills/8899782

Agriculture.gov.au, 2022. Opportunities and challenges for biosecurity as we look towards 2030 Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/about/news/media-releases/opportunities-challenges-biosecurity-towards-2030

Business.qld.gov.au, 2022. Banana freckle Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/biosecurity/plants/priority-pest-disease/banana-freckle

Industry.nt.gov.au, 2022. Banana freckle detected in the Northern Territory Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://industry.nt.gov.au/publications/primary-industry-publications/newsletters/regional-newsletters/rural-review/nt-rural-review-august-2022/banana-freckle-detected-in-the-northern-territory

Legislation.wa.gov.au, 2022. Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_45047.pdf/$FILE/Biosecurity%20and%20Agriculture%20Management%20Act%202007%20-%20%5B02-e0-00%5D.pdf#page=30

Outbreak.gov.au, 2022. Banana freckle in the Northern Territory Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-responses-to-outbreaks/banana-freckle

Theguardian.com, 2022. Devastating banana freckle disease found in Northern Territory Retrieved on: 23.11.2022, from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/16/devastating-banana-freckle-disease-found-in-northern-territory