Published name
Name of the organisation your response is on behalf of (if applicable)
Which of the following best describes your situation?
Which sector do you represent?
You may wish to upload your submission here:
24 February 2025
Assuring Agricultural Sustainability Claims Working Group (ASCWG)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
70 Northbourne Avenue,
Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Working Group,
Re: Feedback on the Assuring Agricultural Sustainability Claims: Discussion Paper
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and its wholly owned subsidiary Integrity Systems Company (ISC) appreciate the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the Assuring Agricultural Sustainability Claims
Discussion Paper. ISC manages and delivers the Australian red meat industry’s three key on-farm assurance and through-chain traceability programs, including the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program, LPA
National Vendor Declarations (LPA NVD) and the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS).
ISC recognise the importance of assurance and evidence that underpins claims across the livestock production industry. LPA currently encompasses sustainability areas including animal welfare and on farm biosecurity. Working alongside industry ISC is continually improving the LPA program including the development of an animal welfare management plan to strengthen animal welfare assurance and tools to enable producers to provide and permission the sharing of their geolocations to assist with meeting the new
European Union Deforestation Regulation applicable to exports bound for the EU.
ISC is also working with industry to develop a sustainability module within the LPA program to support current and emerging market requirements relating to sustainability with a particular focus on land management outcomes. The outcomes of the Assuring Agricultural Sustainability Claims Working Group will help inform the red meat industry in scoping and shaping the sustainability claims to be included in our assurance programs for current and future market requirements.
Meat & Livestock Australia is supportive of the development of the paper and can see many benefits to the red meat industry as well as the broader Australian agricultural industry from a coordinated approach to assuring sustainability claims.
MLA is aware of a related submission by . MLA would like to highlight the importance of considering customer/consumer pressures from both domestic as well as international markets. In recent years, the feedlot industry has observed a growing domestic demand in regard to sustainability claims, and these must equally be considered to avoid increased risks for the red meat industry. MLA is also working with on a number of research and development activities relating to the calculation and abatement of emissions within feedlots, highlighting the evolving science in this space.
Overall, the Assuring Sustainability Claims: discussion paper is very well constructed and broadly covers all the relevant elements. At this early stage, it is a high-level document, and MLA is not able to offer additional details in answer to the questions posed.
Meat & Livestock Australia Limited │ ABN 39 081 678 364 │ Level 1, 40 Mount Street, North Sydney NSW 2060
Postal address: PO Box 1961, North Sydney NSW 2059 │ Ph +61 2 9463 9333 │ Fax +61 2 9463 9393 │ www.mla.com.au
Given the advanced certification and assurance systems and processes already well adopted in the red meat industry such as LPA, National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) and a range of commercial programs, the industry is in a good position to include sustainability claims into existing industry programs.
Meat & Livestock Australia is pleased to see the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry broaching this important topic of assuring agricultural sustainability claims. We would welcome an opportunity for further engagement and intend to provide ongoing support for the further development and implementation of the work of the Assuring Agricultural Sustainability Claims Working Group.
Yours sincerely
Jo Quigley
Chief Executive Officer, Integrity Systems Company
2