Hidden environmental costs make food production more vulnerable than society has estimated and consumers should prepare for continuing rising food prices, a new report has shown. Lead author Kirsten Larsen, based at the University of Melbourne, says food production will be increasingly challenged by changing climate, dwindling supplies of cheap oil and declining water and soil resources. “What has become patently clear is that major innovations – well beyond efficiency improvements in existing food production – are needed, and soon, if we are to have good food to feed all Victorians and to meet export demands.” The report, Secure and Sustainable Food Systems for Victoria, produced by the Victorian Eco-Innovation Laboratory (VEIL) recommends actively developing more sustainable and resilient food systems now, to enable longer term food security in the face of rising input costs and environmental risks. The report can be downloaded from www.ecoinnovationlab.com/pages/library.php. The media release and key findings can be downloaded from www.ecoinnovationlab.com/pages/press-releases.php.