One of the strengths of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) is the widespread engagement of industry representatives and external stakeholders to establish the sustainability processes which represent the path forward for the Australian beef industry.
Articulating the priorities for the industry has seen major producers, processors, supermarkets, food service and value-chain businesses, and investment groups, also utilise the ABSF to align relevant sustainability processes, further underscoring the commitment to a set of common values.
For example, NAPCO uses the ABSF to inform its sustainability activities and define the specific areas of sustainability for its business, with a focus on animal welfare, environmental management, and the health and safety of their people.
Teys Australia uses the ABSF in designing its sustainability program and includes targets around carbon intensity, water efficiency and renewable energy, as well as projects such as the $42m Low Emissions Energy Hub at its Wagga Wagga facility.
The first application of the ABSF to a value-chain operation was by Greenham Cape Grim Beef , which has a paddock-to-plate business model, producing, processing, and marketing premium grassfed beef products. Key indicators and performance measures were developed, and performance will be tracked through the value chain to inform business and consumer decision making that promotes sustainable development in the Australian red meat industry.
Woolworths uses the ABSF to guide its sustainability activities believing the ABSF sets the blueprint for what ‘good’ looks like for the key sustainability issues in beef production to enable practice change and better sustainability outcomes.
Rabobank Australia uses the ABSF to inform its sustainability activities as it banks a significant portfolio of beef-producing clients and sees it as vital to support an industry-led framework that drives long-term sustainability for its beef clients and the supply chain.