Cattle Australia statement on Greenpeace report - Cattle Australia (2024)

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Wednesday, 15 May 2024

The Australian cattle industry is immensely proud of the safe and highly nutritious red meat we produce to support communities here at home and contribute to global food security. Our industry is also proud of the focus we have on managing the Australian landscape sustainably and productively, showing the intrinsic link between healthy environments and the prosperity of agricultural business. In short, well-managed and thriving natural resources and livestock production are not adversaries, but rather run hand-in-hand.

Australia has some of the strictest vegetation management regulations in the world. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ranks Australia as second in the world for reforestation with an average net gain in forest area between 2010-2020 of 446,000 hectares per year.[1]

Research by the University of Queensland (UQ) has shown 95% of Queensland’s koala population is found within beef cattle properties. This work clearly highlights that well managed landscapes contribute to sustainable conservation and, in this specific case, productive agriculture coexists with and supports healthy koala populations. Land management activities are also critical to managing natural disasters, as well as weeds, pests and diseases, to ensure the ecological health of our landscape and positive biodiversity outcomes.

One of our industry’s most important pieces of work is demonstrating environmental performance, and it was this commitment which first initiated development of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework[2] (ABSF) in 2017, to communicate our progressive sustainability efforts.

It was identified through the work of the ABSF that due diligence was required by the agricultural sector to provide clarity on terms and definitions that impact market access and environmental outcomes. With greenwashing now a global consideration, it is especially important that producers and the broader supply chain can demonstrate their good work and comply with new and emerging market requirements.

Clarity on definitions is an important first step towards ensuring data is used within the correct context, and this is a priority of our industry. So too is continually growing and reviewing our understanding of how beef production interacts with landscapes and ecosystems, and how best practice agricultural production contributes to positive environmental outcomes.

This is why we are actively engaging with stakeholders from within and outside of the sector, as we move towards development of a national framework to international reporting requirements. The door is always open to sensible and respectful discussion that will genuinely lead to greater outcomes for the landscapes, animals, biodiversity, food security and communities throughout Australia and across the globe.

[1] https://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/past-assessments/fra-2020/en/#:~:text=FAO%20Global%20Forest%20Resources%20Assessment,in%20the%20period%201990%E2%80%932020.

[2] https://www.sustainableaustralianbeef.com.au/

ENDS

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Garry was born and raised on a commercial beef cattle property south of Gloucester in New South Wales. Garry has personal cattle production interests in this region today as well as his corporate role as the Managing Director and CEO of AAM, a business that has a significant focus in continuing to expand beyond our cattle production interests in Central West NSW, near Forbes and Bective Station near Tamworth, NSW.

Garry has over 25 years’ experience in large scale livestock production management within the Australian agribusiness sector. His experience spans across a vast array of areas of the agricultural supply chain and includes managing businesses involved in livestock breeding, growing and finishing, financing of agricultural projects, implementation of precision agriculture practices, investigation and implementation of sustainability and innovation initiatives and developing and operating integrated agricultural businesses.

In 2007, Garry founded the company that today is AAM, commencing the development, operation and management of a portfolio of agricultural assets valued at $887 million and he remains the major shareholder of AAM.

Garry hasa unique skill set across multiple facets of the grass-fed cattle production supply chain, from production through to finishing, as well as a unique perspective of the challenges facing all grass-fed producers within Australia through his involvement in the modernisation and development of livestock marketing facilities throughout Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

George is a seventh generation Australian farmer, currently managing his family property which they have held since 1880. George operates an Angus breeding and finishing operation joining 1,500 cows per year, with a low-cost model turning off steers at feeder weights and direct sales of females.

George has long been on a regenerative agriculture path as it was the only way he could see to renovate their property 25 years ago without employed equity or working capital, which at the time they didn’t have. He continues with this model as it provides outstanding cost containments, continued production and profitability.

Bryce Camm hails from Dalby in Queensland’s Darling Downs region where he oversees his family’s company Camm Agricultural Group; an integrated beef and cropping enterprise with interests across Queensland.

Bryce has been CEO of the group for the past eight years. Prior to that he was the Manager of the group’s award winning Wonga Plains Feedlot for eight years where he oversaw the operation triple in size. Growing up on “Natal Downs” Station in north Queensland Bryce undertook a dual degree in Business Administration and Communications at Bond University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Bryce is currently the Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd and the Immediate Past President of the Australian Lot Feeders Council, as well as a previous Director of the Red Meat Advisory Council.

Elke is an experienced non-executive director in the agribusiness and customer-owned banking sector with a passion for member-centric organisations. She brings a grower perspective coupled with her genuine drive to elevate the industry through innovation. She was selected to the National Farmers Federation ‘Diversity in Ag Leadership’ 2022, among 12 women nationally.

Nominated by: Peter Hall, Troy Setter, Bryce Camm, David Hill, Adam Coffey

For the past 45 years, David has held rural property management, executive and senior management positions across all mainland states in areas of; beef cattle & sheep breeding, growing and lot feeding, meat retailing, small seed growing, irrigated fodder, and the further processing and exporting of primary products such as meat, grain and fodder.

His export experiences which started in 1989 included a role with Stanbroke Pastoral Company to help develop Stanbroke’ s Live cattle export program. Additionally, David managed the integration of Bottle Tree feedlot grain feeding in the production system while developing and launching their now globally recognised Diamantina beef brand.

David has been in a leadership role at the Lee Family’s, Australian Country Choice group of Companies since 1999 and progressed in that time from General Manager Properties & Livestock to Group Managing Director until stepping back in December 2020 from a full time role to a strategic advisory and board role.

Headquartered in Brisbane and employing over 1,400 staff across 42 operations, Australian Country Choice (ACC) operates Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef supply chain; encompassing cattle breeding, cattle growing and feedlotting to supply its integrated food processing facility in Brisbane that incorporates beef slaughter, beef boning, value-adding and case ready beef packing.

ACC’s cattle property portfolio of around 4 million acres in Queensland & NSW encompasses operations from the Barkly Tableland, CQ coalfields, Carnarvon ranges, Augathella, Blackall, Roma, and Moonie districts of Queensland, with a carrying capacity of 300,000 head. of cattle to support the Company’s 3 feedlots.

Additionally, David represents Agricultural & Cattle industry interests in his role as; Non-Government member Australia­ Indonesia Red Meat & Cattle Partnership, member SmartSat CRC, member Cattle Australia -Policy Council, member Australian Meat Industry Council -China & Halal Trade Groups, Chair Workplace Health & Safety Queensland -Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee, Deputy Chair Laguna Bay Pastoral investment committee and Board Member lnventia Genetic Technologies (IGT).

Away from work David has a small cattle property in the Mt Kilcoy (Qld) district running Charolais & Charbray breeders to the delight of his four grandchildren.

David wishes to continue into a second term to help build a strong and successful Cattle Australia to represent the interest of all cattle producers