List of recommendations
3.79The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a National Food Plan for Australia, which includes:
clear objectives
defined outcomes
measurable targets
The National Food Plan should be developed in consultation with state/territory and local governments, along with relevant sectors, stakeholders, and the community.
3.82The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, through a cross-governmental approach, acknowledge and address the linkages between agri-food production and nutrition and health to minimise the impact of non-communicable diseases.
4.143The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide increased Austrade assistance for small and medium enterprises looking to export Australian food and beverage products to Asia.
4.146The Committee recommends that the Australian Government support the uptake of AI-driven and automation technologies to drive innovation and productivity in the Australian food and beverage manufacturing industry.
4.150The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with industry stakeholders, identify specific opportunities for value-adding to food and beverage products which would increase the proportion of onshore value-added products.
4.155The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with industry stakeholders, identify opportunities to provide targeted support for the growing novel food and beverage industry.
4.158The Committee recommends that the Australian Government review Australia’s current environmental protection laws to ensure that Australia’s native flora are protected from being propagated overseas for commercial use.
5.112The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide support and funding to activate the North Melbourne food innovation precinct.
5.117The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with industry stakeholders, identify areas of skills shortages and support solutions that will help provide immediate relief, while investing in the longer-term development of the workforce.
5.118The Committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate ways to update educational pedagogy and practice in food science and nutrition classes across primary school, high school, tertiary and TAFE education, to align with the rapid technological advancements occurring in the industry.
5.119This should be done in collaboration with state/territory governments, with a view to increase hands-on and on-site experiences to attract and nurture talent for the future of Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry.
5.125The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, identify and map out key logistic infrastructure bottlenecks. This process should include a close analysis of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES), with a view to lowering the freight rates.
5.126The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide support and funding to establish strategically positioned food and beverage manufacturing facilities to enable increased regional food resilience, including:
a manufacturing facility in northern Australia, to reduce the ecological footprint of food transport and increase regional employment, and
a food innovation hub in northern Australia that is designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
6.99The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with industry stakeholders, implement a program of certification for the domestic organic food market, and amend the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s definition of the term ‘organic’ to mean ‘certified organic’.
6.104The Committee recommends that the Australian Government coordinate with state/territory and local governments on changeover dates and timelines when introducing new labelling requirements.
6.105The Committee recommends that the Australian Government support digitisation and innovation opportunities for labelling, such as the implementation of QR codes, to provide additional information to consumers.
7.36The Committee recommends the formation of a new House Select Committee to inquire and report into all aspects of Australia’s alcohol industry.
7.37The Committee recommends the Australian Government work with industry to establish a new body, ‘Spirits Australia’, similar to the existing statutory body, Wine Australia. The new body should be developed in consultation with industry stakeholders and be industry-funded.
8.120The Committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to fund End Food Waste Australia. Further collaboration opportunities should be sought to accelerate progress to meet the National Food Waste Strategy target to halve food waste by 2030.
8.121The Committee recommends that the Australian Government consider how it can incentivise, support, and coordinate food and beverage manufacturers to engage in upcycling, recycling, and other circular economy solutions to food waste.
8.122The Committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate sectoral needs for advanced manufacturing hubs and machinery, along with their location requirements, and use that information to create an Upcycled Food Infrastructure Investment Plan.
8.128The Committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to develop policies to support reduced and recyclable food packaging, including the consideration of:
support for Australian businesses in the transition towards more sustainable practices
national-level leadership in addressing packaging waste
incentivisation of material collection
packaging design standards that encourage circular economy principles.
8.129The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state/territory and local governments and industry to harmonise Australia’s container deposit schemes.
8.133The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that its Net Zero Plan provides support and incentives for Australian food and beverage manufacturers to decarbonise.