First Aboriginal-owned PE firm launches food business

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation is calling for applications that address the 17 research, development & extension priorities identified by the fishing and aquaculture sector.

Regenerative food company Wide Open Agriculture has raised $20 million through institutional investors. It will use the funds to develop Western Australia’s first oat milk manufacturing plant.

Sustainability and innovation as well as growing great grapes have been the focus of this year’s Top 50 Vineyard of the Year Awards. The awards acknowledge the 6000 grape growers in Australia.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it won’t oppose JBS Australia’s proposed acquisition of pig processor Rivalea. JBS announced the $175 million deal in June.

The current vice president and general manager of PepsiCo’s US Frito-Lay business Kyle Faulconer is the new CEO of PepsiCo ANZ. He will start in the role in January.

Australian businesses are increasing resources for environmental sustainability by more than 50 per cent, the latest Business Assurance Report by SAI Global says.

Which companies are the Top 10 for 2021? There are the stayers and new players jostling for the spotlight. Fonterra, JBS, CC Amatil, and Lion all held their spots as the top 4, but Asahi arrived with a splash.

Five companies recorded double digit climbs in the 2021 Top 100 with the big hitters Bega and Asahi reaping the benefits of major acquisitions.

Most sectors had some stand-out performers in this year’s Top 100. Agriculturally focused industries continued to make their mark, with meat processors and dairy companies performing well.

Born in Tokyo with more than 130 years of Japanese heritage and tradition, Yebisu Premium Beer has now arrived in Australia with Cooper’s Brewery scoring the exclusive distribution rights.

Mr Black Roasters & Distillers have joined forces with Queensland’s iconic Bundaberg Rum, to launch a limited-edition Mr Black Rum Barrel Aged Coffee Liqueur.

Brewed locally in the Yarra Valley, Maku is a hemp-based beer company owned by Public Brewing Co., Maku’s latest releases are a hemp-infused Cherry Sour and a Hemp IPA.

The dairy industry has come out in strong support of a new $38m plastic recycling facility in Laverton, which will pave the way for increased use of recycled HDPE in milk bottles and other food packaging.

Winemaker Hentley Farm and wine tech company Cellr have developed a label that allows customers to experience the winery’s The Creation project.

Planet Protector Packaging has achieved top honours in the WEConnect International Rise to the Challenge awards for its flagship Woolpack product and added nine new companies to its client list.

In Australia 4.1 million tonnes of edible food is wasted annually, with more than half coming from the commercial food sector. Yume and Suez have partnered to do something to do about it. Doris Prodanovic writes.

For leading Australasian brewer Lion, 2019 was a watershed. For more than a decade the company had been implementing a range of sustainability initiatives, but last year saw an acceleration of its commitments. Kim Berry reports.

For a company with a large variety of packaging formats, driving a sustainability agenda is not for the faint-hearted, but Mars Food Australia is stepping up to the challenge. Kim Berry writes.