The food and grocery manufacturing industry has agreed to significant sustainability targets through the Australian Food and Grocery Council's (AFGC) new Sustainability Commitment.
The Sustainability Commitment sets out an industry wide strategy, with clear objectives, targets, metrics and case studies on water, waste, energy, packaging and sustainable sourcing.
AFGC CEO Gary Dawson described it as a cornerstone of industry’s commitment to sustainable business practices, by providing an accurate and transparent account of areas of good practice while demonstrating case studies which can be shared to improve performance.
“The food and grocery manufacturing industry is Australia’s largest manufacturing sector and produces around 24 million nutritious meals every day for Australian consumers,” said Dawson.
“Sustainability is key to the industry’s future and to Australia’s food security. For the first time this whole of industry Sustainability Commitment provides a co-ordinated strategy for industry to participate in.”
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework was used as a guide to develop the commitment. The sustainability reduction targets include:
- To reduce water consumption per tonne of production by 20 per cent by 2020, relative to a 2010-2011 baseline
- To reduce waste to landfill per tonne of production by 40 per cent by 2020, relative to a 2010-2011 baseline
- To reduce energy usage per tonne of production by 10 per cent by 2020, relative to a 2010-2011 baseline
- To reduce carbon emissions per tonne of production by 20 per cent by 2020, relative to a 2010-2011 baseline
- All AFGC members committed to actions of the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) to improve the sustainability of packaging
- AFGC members to review all existing packaging against the APC Sustainable Packaging Guidelines by 2020
- All AFGC members have a sustainable sourcing (or equivalent) policy in place by 2015.
“The key role of the Sustainability Commitment is to translate the principles of sustainable development into practices to ensure that industry operates in a manner which is attuned to the expectations of the community, and which seeks to maximise the long term benefits to society that can be achieved through the effective management of Australia’s natural resources,” said Dawson.
