Sustainability taking off in the Australian beef industry

Sustainability taking off in the Australian beef industry

May 21 2019

Australia’s beef industry will launch its second sustainability report next month, which will show industry is committed to improving how it cares for natural resources, animals and people.

The report will celebrate progress made on issues that matter to customers, investors, special interest groups and the community more broadly.

It will also include areas for improvement and outline the industry plan for how to address these challenges.

The report is being produced by the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (the Framework), a whole-of-industry initiative to define and track sustainable beef production in the Australian context.

The Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) initiated the Framework, and its Independent Chair, Don Mackay said the publication of the 2019 Annual Update marked an enormous milestone for the project.

“Since we launched the Framework in 2017, industry has worked with stakeholders and technical experts to ensure we’ve got robust, credible and practical measures, including for the beef industry’s vegetation management,” Don says.

“This year, we have data for 80 per cent of Framework indicators, which gives industry a great foundation from which we can launch the next stage of the Framework; setting targets.

“Our plan is to consult with industry and external stakeholders to set targets for the six key priorities, to encourage action to ramp up on sustainability.”

Don said he was pleased beef businesses were using the Framework to develop their own sustainability issues, and it had been shared with representatives from high value domestic and export markets.

Highlights to expect from the report include:

  • Implementation plan developed for target for the Australian red meat industry to be carbon neutral by 2030;
  • The first national vegetation indicators and measures for the beef industry;
  • Increased use of pain relief on cattle;
  • Establishment of the National Livestock Genetics Consortium to deliver more than $400 million in industry improvements; and
  • The beef industry’s involvement in the Rural Safety and Health Alliance (RSHA) to invest in practical extension solutions informed by industry input on work, health and safety risks.

The full report will be available on Thursday 6 June on www.sustainableaustralianbeef.com.au.

For more information or to organise an interview with Don Mackay, please contact Laura Griffin at laura@curriecommunications.com.au or 0400 170 663.