In-Demand Workshops Highlight Appetite for Sustainable Farming

January 8, 2024

Australia and New Zealand’s fresh produce industry is leading the world on sustainability with supply chain participants increasingly seeking knowledge and adopting practices and tools for success, according to the International Fresh Produce Association Australia and New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ).

Attendees from across the fresh produce spectrum including growers, retailers, suppliers, food waste organisations and financial institutions, attended the IFPA A-NZ’s inaugural sustainability-focused workshops in Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland during November. The New Zealand workshop was co-produced with United Fresh Inc.

IFPA director of sustainability Tamara Muruetagoiena said sustainability had become a mounting pressure for key industry players on top of taxing food safety compliance and quality standards.

However, producers and suppliers were ready to embrace change and IFPA A-NZ, whose mission was to nurture a sustainable and viable fresh produce and floral supply chain ecosystem, was there to support them, she said.

“Australian and New Zealand produce companies are already well versed in ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting and many already have sustainability practices underway or well in their sights,” Ms Muruetagoiena said.

“We predict there will be significant and meaningful developments in this space in the next decade. We will be more conscious of our impact on climate change and become better at seizing opportunities as an industry. We expect more growers will become aware of how to capture and store carbon in the soil and further reduce greenhouse gases such as those emitted through the use of synthetic fertilisers.

“Until now, food safety and quality has dominated what we do as an industry. Sustainability has been seen as an add-on to an already full plate. The challenge is to integrate sustainability with everything we do along the supply chain.

“As an industry, fresh produce is quiet, and our carbon footprint is small. Sustainability wins are not always known or celebrated, and we have a lot to tell the world. We need to see a change of narrative, to tell our stories and keep improving on what we’re already doing.”

The sold-out workshops were developed following a series of successful IFPA A-NZ-hosted summits on sustainability. They delivered practical insights and training workshops with speakers highlighting a multitude of opportunities in sustainability for the horticulture sector, she said.

“The key objective was to get an overview of where the produce industry is in terms of sustainability, what it means and how we can apply it to the supply chain. There was strong focus on carbon accounting and greenhouse gas impacts.”

Tackling the big three

Ms Muruetagoiena spoke on three key issues – packaging, regenerative farming, and climate change.

“Packaging highly perishable produce to satisfy food safety regulations while also trying to reduce waste is a challenge and we expect to see significant change in the future aided by innovation and technology and the positive mindset and intent from Australian and New Zealand producers.

“The produce industry is part of the solution for climate change. Our aim is to arm people with the tools to mitigate climate change and be successful. Sustainability is a journey, and everyone is at a different stage.”

With a multitude of crops and a sophisticated, complex supply chain, practices varied from crop to crop, she said.

“Some operators are already there (such as leading horticulture producer Costa which is doing magnificent work in waste management), some have more work to do. Sustainability is part of everyone’s conversation and it’s coming from everywhere (government, retailers and consumers).

“Becoming sustainable requires initial cultural and capital investment. However, mid to long-term outcomes range from financial benefits to wider market access. It’s very achievable to become both sustainable and profitable after initial investment.”

Key workshop speakers were IFPA A-NZ managing director Ben Hoodless; IFPA head of sustainability Tamara Muruetagoiena; Hort Innovation head of sustainability R&D, Kathryn Young; Woolworths sustainability and strategic sourcing lead - fruit and veg Alex Doyle; Commonwealth Bank of Australia senior manager agribusiness strategy and specialisation Joe Bruzzese; Carbon Friendly chief executive officer Dr Francois Visser; Carbon Friendly general manager Dr Theunis Smit; Commonwealth Bank of Australia executive manager of agribusiness sustainability Carmel Onions; Carbon Friendly head of GHG (greenhouse gas) assessment Dr Majella Mumford; United Fresh NZ president Jerry Prendergast; United Fresh TAG chair Dr Hans Maurer; United Fresh TAG project manager Jacob Lawes; Foodstuffs NZ head of produce and butchery Brigit Corson; Foodstuffs NZ carbon manager Amy Chau; Woolworths head of sustainability Catherine Langabeer; Seeka NZ sustainability manager Lloyd Franks and Toitu Envirocare business development manager Eze Cancina.

Ms. Muruetagoiena said feedback was positive and attendees were actively engaged and invested in sharing outcomes.

“Everyone is more educated and prepared for the long-term. Australia and New Zealand’s produce industry is pretty evolved in sustainability and is leading the pack. There is a very industrious culture and a positive, open-minded outlook to support change. In the sustainability world, that’s golden.”

IFPA A-NZ welcomes Sustainability Framework

IFPA A-NZ’s workshops preceded the Federal Government’s announcement last week of the Hort Innovation-developed 2023-2024 Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework which aims to help the horticulture sector share its sustainable, ethical and safe-farming practice stories with stakeholders. IFPA A-NZ was among the key stakeholders of industry bodies and fresh produce associations which attended the framework launch.

A report of the IFPA A-NZ’s workshops will be issued in early 2024. Another series of workshops on sustainability will be held next year.

In-Demand Workshops Highlight Appetite for Sustainable Farming

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