Top livestock body Meat and Livestock Australia are looking towards with the future of livestock road transport with the formation of the Transport Sustainability Taskforce.
Through the Taskforce, red meat supply chain representatives will measure animal movement and animal welfare metrics for the livestock road transport industry.
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The MLA says it will will guide the domestic livestock transport industry’s focus on three core pillars: animal welfare, supply chain efficiency, and education and training. It will identify and evaluate practical animal welfare indicators to track and report sheep and cattle welfare throughout the road transport chain.
Annual tracking of animal movements, animal welfare status and overall performance will build transparency and highlight areas for improvement, with data to be reported in the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and Sheep Sustainability Framework.
MLA Project Manager Animal Wellbeing, Sharon Dundon says all levels of the livestock road transport supply chain will be included in the endeavour.
“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,” Dundon says.
“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 was recently shared with transporters at the Australian and NSW Rural Transporters Associations’ joint conference in Canberra and will soon be shared for consultation with supply chain stakeholders over the coming months.
Chair of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework Patrick Hutchinson says that the taskforce is essential to improving the long-term safety of livestock road transport.
“Without livestock transport there is no red meat industry,” he says.
“All parts of the supply chain are connected by the industry’s livestock logistic systems. The taskforce fosters a collaborative approach across the supply chain, ensuring transporters feel involved and confident in playing their critical role.
“When everyone is working towards the same goals, and focusing on actions in their own specific areas, this creates improved outcomes overall, benefiting everyone.”
