The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA) members and major Australian retailers recently concluded their third roundtable discussion in 12 months.
An initiative of the AFPA, these regular retail roundtable meetings see AFPA members and representatives from Australia’s major retailers come together to discuss a core issue facing each of their businesses: the use of packaging on fresh produce.
“At the most recent roundtable, we were pleased to host representatives from Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, and Harris Farm Markets. Their commitment to working with fresh produce suppliers on packaging challenges and opportunities should be commended”, said AFPA CEO, Michael Rogers.
These retail roundtables have provided a forum to discuss a number of AFPA led initiatives over the last 12 months. The recent creation and publication of a Packaging Materials Selector to better enable fresh produce growers and packers to select fit for purpose and sustainable materials.
“The roundtables are particularly useful forums for each party to outline their objectives in meeting packaging reduction targets. This type of conversation allows two key sections of the supply chain to constructively engage on how to meet these targets, without increasing food waste or removing fruit and vegetable offerings from Australian households” said Mr Rogers.
Currently, these roundtables are a forum to discuss packaging with a focus on precompetitive, practical outcomes that can be applied across industry and the supply chain.
“Both growers and retailers are hearing what consumers are saying about packaging on fresh produce and are working hard to provide direction that leads to solutions and positive outcomes for retailers, growers and most importantly consumers” said Mr Rogers.
Retailers and AFPA members will be working together at these roundtables again in 2020 to drive industry efforts to minimise packaging and food waste. Both AFPA members and major Australian retailers have publicly committed to packaging targets. This forum highlights that these targets cannot be met in isolation and that by working together industry and Australian families will increase the sustainability of the fresh produce supply chain.
For more information:
Australian Fresh Produce Alliance
PO Box 636, Collins Street West, Victoria 8007
[email protected]
www.freshproduce.org.au