The Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) announced the draft Australian Beef Sustainability Framework today. The inaugural report is set to be released in March 2017.
It pinpoints on fostering longevity and progress for both the producers and the consumers for the $18 billion dollar Australian beef sector.
“The draft Framework developed [the] following discussions with industry, retailers, regulators, financial organisations, special interest groups and customers,” said Don Mackay, independent chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council.
“We now want all members of the beef value chain – from producers to consumers – to help us define what sustainable Australian beef means; and how we measure and report this to the wider community.”
The draft framework focusses on four key points with priority areas for industry to tackle progress: Environmental Stewardship, Economic Resilience, People and the Community, and Animal Welfare. It also supports the Meat Industry Strategic Plan 2020, which involves improving transparency, aligning practices with community expectations and building trust in the red meat sector.
“We wish to paint a clear and honest picture of sustainable beef in Australia. [It also shows] how we are responding to changing demands within the community to position our industry for the future,” said Mackay.
The development of the draft Framework was led by RMAC’s Sustainability Steering Group (SSG), an 11-person grass roots industry group from across all industry sectors. SSG Chair Prue Bondfield said the draft Framework addresses priority areas throughout the beef value chain, covering farm production, lot-feeding, processing and live exports.
“We have identified key priority areas and potential measures. It’s now open to the industry and the community to comment on whether the areas identified to date are the right ones,” Bondfield further added. “The framework will be used to help guide continual improvement by industry, so it’s critical that we have the right priority areas.”
