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Sharing sustainability stories

Hort Innovation has released the Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework, a guide to help the horticulture sector share its sustainable, ethical, and safe farming practice stories with stakeholders. The initiative aims to help the industry share their sustainability credentials and stories, as consumers and investors increasingly ask for evidence of ethical and sustainable practises from their food producers. This is a national project developed over more than 12 months and presents an opportunity for growers to take an active role in leading the sustainability narrative across horticulture. The framework details 17 focus areas that align with existing business measures, as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

information to share horticulture’s story. This will help industry bodies to hort_infographic.pdf 1 28/7/21 9:43 am understand where the sector is at now – where there are strengths and which areas to prioritise for future investment or policy work. Australian horticulture is continuously adopting environmentally responsible tools and systems. Soil health and water efficiency measures are already commonplace in industry and this project will build on these strengths. The Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework is complemented by a suite of

Nourish & Nurture

Food to nourish people Plants to nurture communities Safe, traceable, quality sustainability focussed projects that Hort Innovation is delivering for grower levy payers. All of these contribute to the objective for agriculture to reach $100 billion by 2030. v

Find the Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework at www.horticulture.com.au

Below: Infographic is courtesy of Hort Innovation's Australian-Grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework June 2021.

People & Enterprise

Productive, profitable growers Safe & ethical work Leadership & governance Innovation Thriving communities Trade & economic value

Each area contains its own sustainability goals and indicators to measure the progress of these goals. The framework provides data sources to help growers gather the facts and information consistent with best practice international standards. More than 600 industry participants told Hort Innovation what areas they see as priorities in the sustainability space. The framework was developed with input from producers, employees, industry peak bodies, service and input suppliers, and researchers. Financers and investors, marketers and exporters, retailers, governments, and consumers also had input. The sustainability framework provides a logical process to gather together the many pieces of existing

Planet & Resources

Water Landscapes Climate Energy Biosecurity

Less waste

Food waste Packaging Farm waste

Nourish & Nurture recognises the role of Australian horticultural produce in improving diets, health and wellbeing by providing safe, quality food and greenlife. People & Enterprise identifies the strong links between the people, enterprises, communities and economic value of Australian-grown horticulture. Planet & Resources focusses on reducing any impacts on the natural environment and on the dependence of horticultural production on resources, biosecurity and resilience to climatic variability. Less waste is about reducing all forms of waste in horticultural production.