Senior trade official stresses importance of livestock industry to global food security

Participants at the ABSF Consultative Committee

The Sustainability Steering Group (SSG) hosted the first of its two Consultative Committee meetings for 2024 in Sydney in late February.

More than 100 industry figures attended to discuss the future strategic direction for the industry and hear updates on sustainability programs and international disclosures.

SSG Chair, Mark Davie, opened the day by highlighting key projects the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has undertaken over the previous three years, and how the Australian beef supply chain must align incentives to deliver a thriving natural ecosystem that is productive and feeds people.

A special guest speaker at the event was Matt Koval PSM, the Acting Deputy Secretary of the Agricultural Trade Group at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, who spoke about the current and recent activities of the Federal Government when positioning Australian beef and other trade commodities globally.

Mr Koval canvassed the Government’s position and approach at the FAO Sustainable Livestock Transformation conference in Rome and at COP28 in Dubai and reiterated the importance of animal-based foods in meeting rising global nutritional needs, and the application of regional science to sustainable outcomes. He added that traceability was critical to providing evidence to Australia’s trading partners, who were continually seeking increased information about the provenance of their imported food.

He concluded with an outline of the key activities the Government has undertaken in response to the incoming EU Deforestation Regulation, including pursuing a low-risk rating and further information on interpretation of the regulation.

As the SSG moves to finalise the ABSF’s first Strategic Plan, participants were tasked with discussing actions against the draft strategic priorities of:

1. Showcasing Performance
2. Progressing Sustainability
3. Supply Chain Engagement
4. Industry Ownership
5. Global positioning

Participants were then split into their stakeholder group, and asked to provide insight on what they were doing which could assist the industry in its sustainability journey, what further actions were possible, and the greatest risk to the industry which needed attention. The clusters reported back, and this information will be used to progress and strengthen partnerships along the supply chain.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Project manager for Environmental Markets and Sustainability, Jenny Lim, spoke on the outcome of the Environmental Credentials for Grassfed Beef (ECGB) pilot ahead of the launch of the online platform. Ms Lim also highlighted the updates to the MLA Carbon Calculator and the release of the Quick Start Carbon Calculator. The tools help producers identify ways to reduce their emissions and improve carbon storage on-farm - key activities which were proposed during the earlier session on strategic actions.

The day ended with a presentation from Ernst and Young Climate Change and Sustainability Services Partner, Alex Banks, who focused on the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the implications for Australian beef, and described regulators as taking a “climate-first approach” to mandatory sustainability disclosures.

The International Sustainability Standards Board has also released its sustainable and climate-related financial disclosures reporting standards and will begin to incorporate nature and biodiversity in future standards and developments. Ms Banks finished with an overview and key learnings from the TNFD pilot on domestically sourced fresh beef and salmon sold at a supermarket.