Enhancing sustainability opens the door to new markets

One of the driving forces behind the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) says the nation’s beef industry is seen as a leader around the globe and staying ahead of the game will provide a competitive advantage for years to come.

Jacob Betros is Manager of Beef Sustainability at Meat & Livestock Australia and sat down for a discussion on how his views on sustainability have evolved in his four years in the role and, given his frequent contact with international peer agencies, how the Australian industry is viewed and what trends are emerging in sustainable beef production.

How has the concept of sustainability changed over the past five years?

Five years ago, when many people thought about sustainability they thought almost exclusively about green trees and animals. Since then, the diversity of sustainability has become hugely significant. Now, it is much more inclusive of people and about the viability of the industry, to reflect the importance of food security.

How do other nations view Australia’s sustainability frameworks?

Australia, for a long time, has been seen as a leader in sustainable production. If we don’t maintain that, everyone else is figuring out how to overtake us and beat us so we can’t rest on our laurels.

The fact that we have more than 50 indicators in the ABSF with solid data over a number of years is something that other countries cannot get to at this time. The Carbon Neutral 2030 goal is also huge. They see it as leading the world and they will often refer to us in good practice in target setting and good practice in goal setting.

There is more work to do at that corporate level on the implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, international frameworks, market access and so on. We all know regulation is more expensive than doing something voluntarily. So having the initiative and drive to report on, invest in, and enhance sustainability creates more pathways for future market access, investments, price premiums and to be able to stay ahead of the curve. If you are innovative, you will be rewarded.

What is the future of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework?

The future of the Framework is engaging closer with our supply chain so that everyone is talking about the industry’s credentials and advocating for the industry. We will need to up our game in that space and enable our partners to have that voice and for it to play an integral role in those market and financial negotiations, because it will be relied upon for those critical business and food security outcomes.

Everyone is anticipating greater regulations from our international partners so we need to show how Australia can meet those expectations on sustainability because there are opportunities. Some may say it is challenging but we can also create opportunities for our industry. Other countries and their respective industries may not have the resourcing and capability to meet those expectations. If we can get it right it could be a massive springboard for the Australian beef value chain.