by Neil Shepherd, NATA Sector Manager, Life Sciences
September is Whole Grains Month, though to most people grains don’t need a special reminder. They are basic essentials woven into the rhythm of our days. Bread sliding into the toaster, oats softening slowly on the stove, rice steaming away while families gather. In some cultures, rice is not just food but life itself, and that simple truth tells us just how deeply grains are tied to human experience. They’re not a trend or a health craze. They are the heartbeat of daily consumption.
This September also brings the Grains of Tomorrow gathering in Narrabri. Farmers, scientists, and industry leaders will come together to talk about the future: sustainability, the pressures of climate change, the new techniques reshaping the way food is grown. It will be forward looking, and rightly so. Yet whenever I hear talk of innovation, I think of the most ordinary moments: buttering a slice of bread, enjoying pâté and dips with bread, scooping rice into a pot. People rarely stop to ask if those foods are safe, or if the label can be trusted. They simply eat. The challenge for all of us is to make sure that as agriculture evolves, that quiet, everyday trust is never lost.
And trust is never accidental. It’s not luck that makes grains safe or labels accurate. It’s the result of science, of testing, of systems built to protect people and uphold quality. Accreditation is part of that structure, and although you won’t see it printed in bold letters on a packet of cereal, its presence is constant. It sits in the background, keeping promises intact.
That presence matters in many ways. It means that when a product says “whole grain,” it has been checked and confirmed. It means that testing for things like pesticide residues or allergens is not a guess but a reliable process. It means that when Australian grains travel across oceans, buyers in other countries know they meet international standards. None of this is glamorous. It doesn’t feature in headlines. But it is the reason trust exists at all.
In my work as NATA’s Sector Manager of Life Sciences, I see how these processes connect back to people’s lives. Accreditation may sound like a technical word, but what it protects is very human: families, schools, hospitals, and communities that rely on safe and honest food. In my other role as Chair of ICFA, I see this play out on a global stage. Food systems are under strain from climate pressures, shifting populations, and fragile supply chains. Accreditation steadies those systems. It gives them credibility. It allows innovation to move forward without leaving trust behind.
There’s also a part of my work that sits closer to communication than science. Accreditation can feel invisible, so one of my roles is helping to make its value clear in ways that resonate with the public. That’s why I’ve been involved in shaping NATA’s brand storytelling, including the Agriculture Matters video where I validated the ideas and research of our Creative Services Manager to bring the video to life. I had to make sure what we were communicating was accurate. For me, it wasn’t just about making sure the science was correct, though that mattered. It was about shaping a story people could actually connect to. We worked to translate accreditation into something simple, almost like every day promises: this food is safe, this system can be trusted, this work matters.
That project reminded me of something important. People don’t just want facts. They want confidence. They want to know that behind their food is not only science, but care.
So, as Whole Grains Month unfolds, I find myself thinking about both the small and the vast. The humble act of cooking rice for dinner. The enormous task of keeping global food systems resilient. The conversations in Narrabri about the future. Through it all, accreditation is there, quiet, steady, reliable, making sure the food that sustains us continues to carry trust.
Every grain has a story, and accreditation makes sure it’s a story that holds true. That, more than anything, deserves celebration.
Enjoy our new video Agriculture Matters, showing how accreditation plays an important role in ensuring our grains are safe.