Meet the SSG: Amy Brooks

Caption: SSG Member Amy Brooks.

AMY Brooks sees her contribution to a sustainable food and agriculture industry as more than just marketing, especially when it involves her commitment to the fourth pillar of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework – people and community.

One of the newest members of the ABSF’s Sustainability Steering Group (SSG), Amy is Manager, Marketing and Community Engagement with the premium grainfed meat exporter, Stockyard Beef, based on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Born on the lands of the Bundjalung people in New South Wales, Amy is connected to country and community through her mother’s clan, the Wulli Wulli near Eidsvold. Her connection to country and perspective as a traditional owner inform her work to influence positive change for First Nations people at both a grassroots and global level.

Amy is also a passionate member of the global group Meat Business Women, which brings together women from across the supply chain including processors, wholesalers, retailers and smallgoods manufacturers to connect and provide pathways to future-proof the industry.

She’s enthusiastic about working with the SSG to achieve the industry’s goal – a resilient and prosperous community and a safe, healthy and diverse workplace that fosters an environment of capacity building and inclusivity.

“I’ve worked for Stockyard for 15 years and it’s easy because the company is passionate about sustainability and their people,” Ms Brooks said.

“As well as passion, diligence and empowered leadership – striving to be agents of positive change – our fourth value is respect and integrity, for our people, our animals, our customers and our community.

“Change and transformation doesn’t happen without people so I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to the Framework.”

Ms Brooks is a member of Telstra’s Regional Advisory Council and holds the position of non-executive Director of the Woorabinda Pastoral Company (WPC), an agricultural enterprise wholly owned by the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council in central Queensland. She is also a member of the Working Group developing and implementing OBE Organic’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), one of only half a dozen implemented so far by agribusinesses.

RAPs are practical action plans for organisations to create social change and economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through relationships, respect and opportunities.

Ms Brooks believes a key challenge for the Framework is in communicating and understanding that thriving communities and financial stability are a major aspect of sustainability, alongside the pillars of environment and animal wellbeing.

She said people often hear the word sustainability and think of regulation and cost as roadblocks that are stopping them, but sustainable projects make good business sense.

“We also rely on the natural environment where fluctuations are a part of life, so we need to understand the fluidity in that, which presents challenges for how we manage and measure our practices and how we communicate this,” she said.

“We don’t want to be perceived to be ‘greenhushing’ or hiding our green credentials from the public particularly when there are natural fluctuations. We have so many things that we can be proud of at the ABSF, for what we’ve done already to date.

“For me, it’s exciting to be welcomed into the SSG with a group of dynamic individuals who have the ability to change the narrative of the beef industry as thought leaders.”