THE performance of the beef industry against key markers of sustainability and the leadership role Australia is playing in the global discussion surrounding sustainable agriculture will come into focus at the launch of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework’s annual update next month.

The annual update serves as a yearly score card for industry by reporting against key indicators spanning environmental stewardship, animal care and wellbeing, economic resilience, and people and the community.

This year will mark the release of the fifth report since the launch of the ABSF in 2017 to identify success, opportunity and areas for improvement in the sustainable production of beef.

RMAC chair John McKillop

Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop said this year’s launch would highlight Australia’s growing role in leading the world in sustainable livestock production through innovation, investment in people and communities, and self-determined targets to improve performance.

“The Australian beef industry is proving itself as a global leader in investing in research, innovation and best practice management to support evolving sustainability objectives,” Mr McKillop said.

“The ABSF has become a powerful tool to measure our performance and understanding of where we can do better – and transparently communicating that to our customers and consumers.

“Our commitment to sustainability has also been clearly demonstrated to the world through our industry-owned Carbon Neutral by 2030 target which is helping to propel the livestock sector –including beef, lamb and goat – towards no net release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere within the next eight years.

“However, we also know true sustainability is multi-faceted and so the ABSF includes important economic, animal and social measures within the suite of indicators we use to monitor progress and set priorities.”

This year’s launch will include two important discussions exploring the world-first research and innovation being undertaken in Australia and what striving for improved sustainability means in a commercial context.

This will include a panel comprising grassroots producers, lotfeeders, processors and live exporters on what sustainability means in practical terms for beef businesses, as well as an innovation-based panel showcasing some of the exceptional and globally significant work occurring in Australia.

Chef Glenn Flood will also prepare lunch for launch attendees with beef sourced from Northern River Meats. Producer of the beef, Joe Leven, will be at the launch to speak about the food being served and the steps Northern River Meats takes to prioritise sustainability.

“This will be a great opportunity for us to showcase sustainability in action by experiencing just how healthy, nutritious and tasty sustainably produced beef is, and the clear market opportunities across the globe that exist for our premium Australian product.”

• The launch of the ABSF 2022 Annual Update is an invitation-only event to be held in Sydney on Thursday, 16 June.