Beef industry leaders, customers to address why sustainability matters at Beef Australia

Industry leaders and representatives from global food and banking giants will tackle the question 'Sustainability for the Australian Beef industry... why?' at a seminar at Beef Australia.

The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework – a whole-of-industry initiative to define, measure, report on and guide sustainability – will also launch its first annual update on the progress of the beef industry at the seminar.

Speakers include Andrew Brazier, a Director of Supply Chain at McDonald's Corporation, who has commercial responsibilities for the beef, pork and fish categories for the more than 10,000 restaurants in 37 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Andrew will share his unique insights working with the one of the world’s biggest buyers of beef. McDonald’s is in a unique position dealing with consumers, suppliers and farmers from across the globe.

“McDonald’s is committed to working with the beef industry and farmers to increase productivity and profitability for the beef industry in the long term.”

Lachlan Monsbourgh, Head of Sustainable Business Development at Rabobank Australia, will also share his insights at the sustainability-focused seminar at Beef Australia.

“From a risk management perspective banks are now looking beyond financial performance. We need to understand the health of the environment and the management of risks, including animal welfare,” Lachlan says.

He says one of the issues Rabobank – one of the world’s largest rural lenders – is most interested in is natural resource management to ensure long-term agricultural productivity and environmental outcomes.

Beef sustainability update to be launched

These guest speakers will be joined by Australian beef industry leaders involved in the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework – Don MacKay (Red Meat Advisory Council Independent Chair), Bryce Camm (Chair of the Sustainability Steering Group and Camm Agricultural Group CEO) and Susan McDonald (Member of the Sustainability Steering Group and Super Butcher Managing Director).

Bryce will officially launch the landmark beef sustainability report at Beef Australia.

“The report was developed to meet stakeholder expectations, but it is also incredibly useful for industry to be able to clearly understand our customers, investors and other stakeholders’ priorities. There is a commercial imperative for anyone in the beef value chain to understand these priorities and how, as an industry we are responding,” Bryce says. “The Sustainability Steering Group are excited to present this report to industry and our external stakeholders.”

The Annual Update covers the beef industry’s progress since the Framework was launched in April 2017. Some of the key updates include:

• Stakeholders decided on six key priority areas for industry focus (which are animal husbandry techniques; profitability across value chain; balance of tree and grass cover; manage climate change risk; antimicrobial stewardship; and the health and safety of people in industry).
• The Framework team has appointed an expert panel on balance of tree and grass cover that will advise industry on developing an evidence-based indicator and target across the areas of pasture health, managing regrowth, deforestation and vegetation management.
• $35 million research partnership established in animal husbandry.
• Access to pain relief for cattle improved after pain relief products that can be administered by producers entered the market in late 2016.
• Established a proactive antibiotic monitoring program in Australian feedlots

Event details

Date: Thursday, 10 May 2018 Time: 12-1pm Location: Beef Australia, Rockhampton

Room: Gallagher Energizer Room (James Lawrence Pavilion)

Join the panellists and members of the Sustainability Steering Group for drinks and nibbles straight after the seminar.

Register via the Beef Australia website or email the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework team directly by contacting Pip Band at pband@mla.com.au.

About the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework

The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework ("The Framework") is a collaborative project to guide the Australian beef industry to be more sustainable. It will launch its first annual update at Beef Australia. The Framework was initiated by the Red Meat Advisory Council and developed by the Australian beef industry to meet the customers, investors and other stakeholders’ changing expectations for a sustainable industry.

The Framework defines sustainable beef production and tracks performance over a series of indicators related to animal welfare, economic resilience, environmental stewardship, and people and community. These indicators have been developed through broad consultation with stakeholders and technical experts.