The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has appointed three new members to its Sustainability Steering Group (SSG), adding extensive experience in the implementation of sustainable practices and connections to industry.
Joining the SSG are Stockyard Beef manager, marketing and community engagement, Amy Brooks, Greenham Livestock supply chain manager, Jess Loughland, and Hewitt Foods director of livestock, Peter Gall.
ABSF SSG chair Mark Davie welcomed the trio and said their extensive networks and industry knowledge would ensure the development of the Framework would continue and stakeholder consultation would be paramount.
“We are really fortunate to have Amy, Jess and Peter on the steering group as we drive the ABSF forward.
“They each bring such a valuable and complementary set of skills in sustainable beef production, from Peter’s wisdom gained from a long and trailblazing career, to Jess’s insights from a broad engagement with producers and Amy’s extensive work across the corporate and government sector,” Davie said.
Amy Brooks
In addition to her role at Stockyard Beef, Brooks is also a member of Telstra’s Regional Advisory Council, a non-executive director of the Woorabinda Pastoral Company, and 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.
An agricultural enterprise wholly owned by the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council, Stockyard Beef manages 5000 head of beef cattle and 5660ha of dryland crops in central Queensland.
Both connections have led to Stockyard Beef liaising for the past eight months with the Woorabinda Pastoral Company, to implement an innovative knowledge program and cultural exchange, and work collaboratively in relationship building, sharing of culture, training and knowledge of best industry practices.
Brooks 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 is enthusiastic about working with the SSG to achieve the Framework’s goals of a resilient and prosperous community and a safe, healthy, and diverse workplace that fosters an environment of capacity building and inclusivity.
Brooks said a key challenge for the Framework is in the communication and understanding that thriving communities and financial stability are a major aspect of sustainability, alongside the pillars of environment and animal wellbeing.
“People often hear the word sustainability and think of regulation and cost, as road blocks that are stopping them, but sustainable projects make good business sense,” said Brooks.
Jess Loughland
As livestock supply chain manager for Greenham, Loughland is well aware that committing to animal welfare, environmental stewardship and sustainability standards demands a proactive and co-ordinated effort across the value-chain. Loughland ensures around 4,200 suppliers across four states understand and adhere to Greenham’s NEVER EVER accreditation program, which is in the process of introducing the Greenham Beef Sustainability Standard (GBSS).
It’s the first time a commercial supply chain has applied the themes of the ABSF at a farm level to deliver a new product to market.
“Change is led by the consumer, and Greenham wants to produce high-quality beef that connects consumers to their desire to live sustainably. The GBSS standard was ABSF-inspired. We wanted it to be about more than environmental benefits alone because we saw productivity, profitability and training as the final pieces of the puzzle,” Loughland said.
Loughland is a member of IFAMA, the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, which brings together the world's leading scholars and students, industry and NGO professionals and policy makers to improve the strategic focus, transparency, sustainability and responsiveness of the food and agribusiness system.
Greenham started supplying GBSS-certified product to US customers in March and the standard will be incrementally rolled out to the company’s broader supply chain over the next two to three years.
“It’s no small feat to achieve when we’re working with over 4,000 accredited suppliers, but there’s so much power when working together. We want consumers to have a lot of confidence in Australian beef and, if we pool our resources, we can achieve so much more,” Loughland said.
Peter Gall
As director of livestock for Hewitt Foods, which has a majority shareholding Arcadian, Gall is a dedicated supporter of the company’s mission to be the world’s most sustainable meat producer.
Gall said the industry is changing quickly but there is still more work to be done in the private sector.
“The biggest challenge that I see is the public perception that the beef industry is the culprit for greenhouse gas emissions. We need to make practical changes to reduce emissions, but will customers share the burden? Are they going to pay for it?
“I see people making all sorts of claims that they can’t prove but that’s going to change with the data being gathered and the work being done by the Framework. Those claims won’t stand up if the critics don’t have proof,” said Gall.
