Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs Review

2 October 2024

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Via: online submission
Australian Pork
Limited

PO Box 4746 Kingston ACT Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Adoption and
2604 Australia
Innovation Hubs Review
T: 02 6270 8814
F: 02 6285 2288
ABN 83 092 783 278
Australian Pork Limited (APL) values the opportunity to provide input to the
Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs Review www.australianpork.com.au (Drought Hubs Review).

About the Australian pork industry and Australian Pork Limited

APL is the peak national representative body for Australian pork producers. It is a
producer-owned company combining marketing, export development, research
and innovation, and strategic policy development to assist in securing a
profitable and sustainable future for the Australian pork industry.

APL is the primary contact regarding pork industry research, development and
extension priorities, current industry evidence and information, and strategic policy
needs. APL is unique in this way and is the one body representing every aspect of
the Australian pork industry. APL holds several official roles on behalf of the
Australian pork industry. APL is:

• The Rural Research and Development Corporation for the industry.
Established through Federal legislation, APL is responsible for leading
research, development and extension in partnership with the Australian
government and the research community. Our statutory obligation is to
deliver industry innovation and research and development services on behalf
of all industry levy payers.

• The market access, trade and marketing arm of the industry, including
managing industry campaigns such as “Get some pork on your fork”.

• The national peak body for the Australian pork industry. We represent pork
producers and the supply chain across jurisdictions and within national and
state and territory representative frameworks.

• Leading the Australian pork industry’s Sustainability Framework
implementation supporting benchmarking and accountability against the
goals within the four sustainability pillars.

• The industry signatory to the Emergency Animal Disease Response Deed
(EADRA), representing the entire pork supply chain within Animal Health
Australia, and where required, within the decision-making structures which
would manage an emergency animal disease response.

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The domestic pork industry is a vital part of Australia’s food supply chain, with pork the second most consumed meat in Australia and all fresh pork consumed in Australia domestically sourced. The industry is domestically focused with approximately 90% of total production supporting food security for
Australians.

The Australian pork industry contributes around $6 billion in gross domestic product to the economy.
Approximately 34,600 jobs are supported by the industry nationally, predominantly in regional
Australia, supporting the economic and social prosperity of communities and the wellbeing of individuals. The Australian pork industry’s workforce is skilled, specialised and generally engaged on a permanent basis.

Australian Pork Sustainability Framework

The Australian pork industry is deeply committed to the care of its pigs, the environment, people, and communities, with producers providing Australians and overseas markets with safe, reliable and nutritious food. In 2021 APL launched its first-ever pork industry Sustainability Framework. The
Sustainability Framework set goals, targets, and measures to demonstrate the industry’s commitments across four key areas:

• People – Producing our products in a way that supports both our industry’s people and our
local communities.

• Pigs - A world leader in animal welfare and health.

• Planet - A world leader in environmental best practice.

• Prosperity - A revolutionary contributor to Australia's economy and those who work within the
sector.

A peer reviewed lifecycle assessment published in the internationally recognised Animal Production
Science, measured the pork industry’s positive environmental impact. Finding that Australian pork has minimal nutrient loss, compared with grazing systems and European piggeries. The journal publication can be found here: https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/Fulltext/AN23352. And the APL full report is here: https://australianpork.com.au/life-cycle-assessment-pork-industry-2020-2022

The recently released Australian Pork Sustainability Framework Baseline Report found that:

• Pork producers have embraced the circular economy:

• 78% of pork producers reuse effluent on crops;

• 49% use solar power;

• 44% recycle water on farm; and

• 58% compost bedding and manure.

• The industry is building the foundations for the future by investing in research, with over 10
higher degree research students currently supported by the pork industry.

• The integrity of pork product is at the core of the industry, with more than 90% of the industry
covered by the APIQ quality assurance program.

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Impacts of drought and climate change on the pork industry

Our research has clearly identified that climate change is expected to impact the pork industry in several ways, including through:

• increased biosecurity threats;

• changing availability of stock feed and/or the variety of stock feed available and/or cost of feed due
to crop damage during extreme weather events (droughts, floods) or changing of growing seasons
and conditions; and

• reduced pig fertility and increased animal stress (and therefore productivity) due to increased
temperatures.

The Australian pork industry has been at the forefront of research, technology and extension to help reduce farm emissions and build resilience to climate and drought impacts. Examples include:

• improving energy efficiency of sheds and equipment, and/or installing energy generation such as
solar panels;

• improving pig housing to allow better airflow and temperature management;

• better management of effluent including methane collection and energy generation;

• recycling water for shed flushing to reduce potable water requirements;

• adopting improved technologies such as feeders and drinkers to minimise water spillage and
wastage;

• researching alternative protein sources for pig feed such as cotton waste and insects;

• collaborating with other agricultural industries such as diary and meat processing to understand
opportunities to pool resources, maximise recovery and limit waste to landfill; and

• maximising reuse of effluents, manures and spent beddings for fertilisers to reduce reliance on
chemical fertilisers.

While the Australian pork industry has long been an early adopter of new technologies and practices to manage emissions and build drought and climate resilience, more support is needed.

Better support from the Drought Hubs is needed for intensive animal industries.

Despite the impact of droughts on intensive industries, to date there have been very few opportunities for intensive industries available through any of the eight Drought Hubs. APL understands that of the eight Drought Hubs, only one has undertaken a project with the pork industry and this project was fully industry funded. Given the goals of the Drought Hubs to ‘help overcome information barriers and coordination failures and enhance the drought resilience of farmers and rural communities through place-based activities’, this is a clear opportunity for greater engagement. There is an opportunity for
Drought Hubs to better understand intensive animal industries, and to develop projects that coordinate resources within and between intensive animal industries.

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APL recommendations that the Drought Hubs take the opportunity to:

• better understand and recognise the impact of drought on intensive agriculture;

• recognise and support the sustainability initiatives and goals of the industries and
support the activities within their industry sustainability frameworks;

• take advantage of opportunities to engage with the pork industry and understand
the impact of drought on the industry; and

• undertake to create opportunities to engage with and better support broader
intensive agriculture.

The Australian pork industry continues to be proactive in planning for and undertaking actions to mitigate the challenges of climate and drought. However, implementation of our data-backed plans, particularly extension and financing, remain ongoing challenges. These areas are an opportunity for government to provide funding and assistance which would lead to significant on the ground/on farm and supply chain outcomes. Better support through the Drought Hubs could help provide the support that’s needed.

APL is looking forward to the opportunity to meet with the Review team to discuss ways the Drought
Hubs can recognise and more effectively support pork and other intensive animal industries.

Thank you again for the opportunity to provide responses to the Review’s Issues Paper. Should you wish to discuss this submission or the option of convening a meeting of intensive industry representatives, please contact Megan Hill, Policy Manager Environment and Sustainability, on 0439
810 984 or mhill@australianpork.com.au.

Yours sincerely,

Tanya Pittard

General Manager Policy and Industry Relations

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