Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and red meat supply chain representatives have formed a new Transport Sustainability Taskforce. The taskforce will work to build transparency and identify areas for improvement within the livestock road transport industry.
The taskforce will identify and evaluate practical indicators to track and report on animal welfare throughout the road transport chain. It will focus on three key pillars:
- Animal welfare.
- Supply chain efficiency.
- Education and training.
All data from the annual tracking of animal movements, animal welfare metrics and performance will be reported in the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and the Sheep Sustainability Framework.
“Across the country, trucks are transporting livestock daily. It’s crucial for the entire industry to proactively collaborate, ensuring we do right by our animals and our industry,” said MLA project manager animal wellbeing, Sharon Dundon.
“This taskforce is bringing the industry together, helping people understand their roles and responsibilities for livestock transport.
“It is also helping improve the understanding that best practice livestock transport comes down to good preparation.”
The draft strategy for the new taskforce was shared at the joint conference of the Australian and NSW Rural Transporters Associations in Canberra. It is set to be distributed for consultation with supply chain stakeholders over the coming months.
“The taskforce fosters a collaborative approach across the supply chain, ensuring transporters feel involved and confident in playing their critical role,” said chair of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework Patrick Hutchinson.
The taskforce is part of an Australian government grant-funded project, supported under the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy 2023 to 2033.