First morning at FoodTech Connect

FoodTech Connect’s first day was packed with interesting speakers, starting with Kate Carnell’s keynote address. Kate is the CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council and she presented lots of facts about future directions for the Australian food industry in a global context.

Kate drove home the challenges and opportunities facing the food industry and stressed the need for a strategy to maintain a solid food manufacturing base in Australia. The lack of a federal government food and grocery policy should be one of the first areas addressed, Kate suggested, then a streamlining of the regulatory framework. For this to be effective, all stakeholders need to be actively involved.

The increase in world demand for food is pregnant with opportunities for food manufacturers but there will be many stumbling blocks - not least will be the need to produce this extra food in a water- and energy-constrained world.

Opportunities will come from many sources, such as reducing the current 25% food wastage in the western world and reducing waste through the farm to manufacture to consumer supply chain.

However, the entire world will be competing for the food industry growth and Australia will have to increase its exports and reduce its imports if it is to share in the growth. In the last few years, food imports into Australia have grown 40% while exports have remained about the same so there is already cause for concern on this front.

Kate’s address was followed by equally interesting presentations from Metcash’s General Manager, Risk, Steve Newton, and nudie juice founder Tim Pethick.

And that was just the morning sessions …

For further information visit www.foodtechconnect.com.au