12 June 2009

2 minute read

Oceania

“Australian beef producers are stewards of our land and they have been producing sustainable beef in an environmentally friendly way for generations,” said Greg Brown, President of the Cattle Council of Australia.

“As an industry that produces around 2.2 million tonnes of beef and veal a year and the world’s second largest exporter of beef, we recognise the need to manage the land we own in a sustainable way,” said Mr Brown.

“If the WWF is proposing a wider choice of beef for consumers without wanting to impose a rigid one-size-fits all categorization then we’d consider supporting it. We still need to see the detail of the proposal first before any endorsement is given,” said Mr Brown.

Beef producers manage 43 per cent of Australia’s total landmass and Australia is one of the world’s most efficient producers of cattle.

“Our planet has over 6 billion people and as food producers, we have an enormous responsibility to adopt environmentally sustainable production techniques to ensure that the future generation of farmers can provide food to an expanding population,” said Mr Brown.

The global population is estimated to reach 9 billion people in 2050 placing increasing pressure on agriculture world-wide.

“Our society is concerned about feeding the world’s population sustainably,” said Mr Brown. “We must increase awareness among consumers of the Australian beef industry’s value in producing quality food that utilises sustainable production systems managed by astute farmers,” said Mr Brown.

The WWF is suggesting a supply system that enables consumers to choose ‘greener’ products. Cattle Council welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate to the WWF and consumers that Australian beef producers are committed to sustainable beef production.

“It’s important consumers recognise, nurture and value the Australian people and systems producing food if Australia is to continue to feed ourselves and others in a sustainable way,” concluded Mr Brown.

TheCattleSite News Desk