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Briefs

Report released by the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources on its inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia

Report released by the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources on its inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia

25 February 2025

Background  

The House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources released its report last week for its inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia, titled Food for Thought: The opportunities and challenges for Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry.  

The report has made 23 recommendations for expanding the Australian food and beverage manufacturing sector. These focus on exploring export opportunities, adopting new technologies, building on Australia’s reputational and competitive advantages, and adding value to raw products to produce high-value goods. The Committee proposed several actions to take advantage of these opportunities, such as establishing a food innovation precinct, safeguarding native flora, identifying skills shortages in the industry, and supporting automation technologies. 

Key recommendations from the report are:  

  • develop a National Food Plan for Australia, which includes: clear objectives, defined outcomes and measurable targets (Recommendation 1) 
  • in consultation with industry stakeholders, identify specific opportunities for value-adding to food and beverage products which would increase the proportion of onshore value-added products (Recommendation 5) 
  •  in collaboration with industry stakeholders, identify and map out key logistic infrastructure bottlenecks. This process should include a close analysis of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES), with a view to lowering the freight rates (Recommendation 11) 
  • coordinate with state/territory and local governments on changeover dates and timelines when introducing new labelling requirements. (Recommendation 14) 
  • investigate ways to update educational pedagogy and practice in food science and nutrition classes across primary school, high school, tertiary and TAFE education, to align with the rapid technological advancements occurring in the industry. (Recommendation 10) 
  • support digitisation and innovation opportunities for labelling, such as the implementation of QR codes, to provide additional information to consumers. (Recommendation 15) 
  • consider how it can incentivise, support, and coordinate food and beverage manufacturers to engage in upcycling, recycling, and other circular economy solutions to food waste. (Recommendation 19) 
  • continue to develop policies to support reduced and recyclable food packaging, including the consideration of (Recommendation 21): 
  • support for Australian businesses in the transition towards more sustainable practices 
  • national-level leadership in addressing packaging waste 
  • incentivisation of material collection 
  • packaging design standards that encourage circular economy principles. 
  • work with state/territory and local governments and industry to harmonise Australia’s container deposit schemes. (Recommendation 22) 

AFGC action   

It is unclear whether or to what extent the government will act on the 23 recommendations in the report.  

The AFGC will work through recommendations with the government as part of continued engagement and we will update members where necessary.  

Contact  

For more information contact Shalini Valecha, Director, Industry Affairs (Acting)