Building sustainable food supply chains in the beef, pork, poultry and dairy sectors will be in focus at the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise’s annual Protein Conference to be held in Dalby on March 22.

“Everyday we get one day closer to our 2030 carbon neutral deadline, but the time is now to introduce measures to ensure no net release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are released into the atmosphere from 2030,” TSBE Food Leaders Australia (FLA) General Manager Justin Heaven said

“With sustainability at the forefront of discussions, the Protein 2023 speakers have been carefully curated to include representation from decision makers along with producers on the ground.”

“Panel session themes are biosecurity, sustainability, animal welfare, new energy project, shedded systems production improvements and demystifying carbon markets and net zero.”

Mr Heaven said anyone who works in the protein sector is encouraged to attend TSBE’s Protein conference, to ensure the region maintains its strong reputation.

Compass Group Australia’s Head of Sustainability, Simon Jackson, is one of this year’s speakers and will share insights into Australia’s paddock to plate processes.

“Getting protein on plates is changing as we decarbonise our menus. Understanding the complexity of global emission reduction strategies and the known challenges of ruminant animal emissions, whilst balancing consumer demand is something we are constantly reviewing,” Mr Jackson said.

“Our targets are bold and require a ‘Shift’ in how we consume protein. To achieve these targets, measures need to be implemented every step of the way.”

“This will be a marathon, not a sprint, but being in the know now will greatly benefit those within the protein sector in years to come.”

One of this year’s keynote speakers is The Sustainability Consortium Director of Retail Amy Scoville Weaver who is leading the current and future direction for retailer support.

“Sustainability needs to remain at the forefront of all discussions involving food supply chains,” she said. “A healthy environment ensures the health of business and long-term economic growth – and we now have the innovation we need to make change accessible and meaningful across the food product industry.”

“I look forward to sharing my findings and experiences with producers and key personnel.”

The Protein conference is expected to attract close to 200 attendees with local producers, business owners and industry representatives in attendance.

View the full program and book a ticket by visiting https://www.tsbe.com.au/events/protein2023.