At the 12th annual Global Food Conference in Brisbane yesterday (17 July), Visy chair, Anthony Pratt, delivered a keynote address of positivity and promise. While his sentiment might not have been a dominant one throughout the day, Pratt’s message was clear, the sector has shown immense growth and will continue to do so.
Pratt highlighted key growth points for food and beverage manufacturing, including the construction of 1200 food factories over the last 10 years and food exports more than doubling to $59 billion. Beef exports to China have increased 200 per cent in that time.
From Australian farmers increasing output by 91 per cent, food and beverage manufacturing grew 56 per cent.
His key point here was it had more than twice the growth rate of other manufacturing industries, making it not just the largest manufacturing sector, but largest employer, with one in four manufacturing jobs being in food and beverage.
Food production accounts for six per cent of GDP.
Pratt also commented on the importance of diversifying export markets, and the importance of free trade agreements (FTAs). Australia now has 18 FTAs, with two thirds of those signed in since the GFF began.
“The brand-new Australia-UK FTA has already yielded a 400 per cent increase in exports to Britain. Australian barley exports to ASEAN countries have tripled and Australian lobster exports to ASEAN have quadrupled.
“And $300 million worth of our premium wine is now sold to ASEAN countries for triple the price we would get in the American market,” he said.
A “proud part” of the food chain
Pratt then turned his attention to the role Visy plays in the sector as a “proud part” of the country’s food chain and its largest supplier of food and beverage packaging. Globally, 70 per cent of its customers are in the sector.
“From Tasmania to Tallinn, North Queensland, from Perth to Penrith, New South Wales Visy provides 7000 green collar jobs and supports 5000 jobs in the Riverina, from where we are the largest exporter of shipping containers in Australia, through investment to the value of $10 million in boxes, cans and bottles,” he said.
Pratt highlighted the company’s $2 billion-dollar investment to transform Australia’s recycling and manufacturing processes, with $1 billion of that allocated to increasing the recycled content of glass bottles from 30 to 70 per cent.
Its new $500 million glass recycling and remanufacturing plant in Queensland is the company’s largest investment globally. It will recycle up to 200,000 tonnes and produce one billion bottles a year.
It’s also a case study in collaboration and competitors working together, with Asahi Beverages, Lion, Coca Cola Europacific Partners, and Bundaberg Brewed Drinks partnering with Visy.
“We’re in the landfill avoidance business and because landfills are the third biggest emitter of methane, recycling is an important weapon against climate change.
“If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. It is the most toxic methane producing component of landfills.
“And because 30 per cent of all food is wasted, there is a tremendous opportunity to reduce hunger as well. In fact, eliminating food waste could be the single most effective way to end world hunger.
“It’s gratifying that over the last 12 years of the Global Food Forum, our leading food companies and retailers have made great strides in reducing food waste in their own supply chains.”
