Growing into the Future
THE AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABLE ALMONDS PROGRAM
Global sustainability requirements are changing rapidly, as governments, industries and consumers seek high standards and want to know more about product safety, ethical workforce and where their food has come from. Never before have food producers been more engaged or accountable for their production practices and their impact on the planet and people.
While increasing sustainability requirements can pose challenges for our industry, they also create opportunities. The past 20 years of growth reflect an Australian almond industry that values the innovation, efficiency and responsiveness of its growers.
As an industry, we recognise that sustainability cannot be tackled in isolation but must be incorporated in everything that we do. The Almond Board of Australia( ABA) has been actively pursuing the long-term, economic, social and environmental viability of the Australian almond industry. The Australian almond industry must have a consistent message underpinned by robust industry data. An industry benchmarking project is under development to establish industry-wide production, economic and sustainability benchmarks.
The ABA is leading the way, being the first Horticultural peak industry body to invest R & D levies into a dedicated role to drive the sustainability program. To support our growers in their sustainability journey, the ABA has adopted and‘ almondised’ Hort360, an online best management practice portal developed by Growcom, which helps growers assess their operations and compare to others in the industry.
The program is guided by the ABA’ s Sustainability Committee, made up of industry stakeholders, including representatives from processing businesses, small farms and corporate entities. The purpose of the Sustainability Committee is to ensure a collaborative approach and provide a forum to raise issues and discuss all matters related to industry sustainability.
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