Showcasing Australia’s red meat traceability across Southeast Asia

Aussie Meat Academy drives regional engagement with insights, innovation, and integrity - culminating in a supply chain immersion for Australia this September.

As part of an Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)-funded initiative, MLA Southeast Asia (SEA) has been actively showcasing Australia’s red meat traceability credentials across the region.

Through a series of Aussie Meat Academy (AMA) seminars and masterclasses, the program has engaged with government, trade, and industry stakeholders.

Over 200 participants through 10 AMA sessions have been reached through the grant. These sessions featured presentations on red meat purchase drivers and findings from recent traceability research.

The research revealed that Southeast Asian consumers place high trust in Australian beef and lamb. Key indicators of this trust include:

- country of origin (provenance)

- product quality

- product safety

- reputation of in-market distributors.

Traceability systems enhance the perception of trust and the study highlighted a gap in end-user awareness of Australia’s robust integrity systems.

The Aussie Meat Academy initiative is an effective channel for communicating Australia’s red meat credentials. It allows participants to gain deeper insights into the systems that underpin product integrity and safety.

MLA’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, Valeska, said “With various stages of market development across the SEA region, AMA activities allow MLA to share knowledge and insights.

“This enables new players to learn more about Australian red meat attributes, credentials, our value proposition and how this can benefit their businesses,” she said.

In this new financial year, MLA SEA will continue to expand AMA activities, focusing on customer immersions, red meat knowledge sharing, and showcasing sustainable and innovative food solutions. These initiatives aim to deepen understanding of Australia’s red meat value proposition and foster stronger commercial and organisational relationships.

To further strengthen engagement, DAFF funding will assist MLA SEA to facilitate a supply chain visit to Australia in September 2025. This immersive experience will provide Southeast Asian businesses with a first-hand look at Australia’s world-class integrity systems and processes. This includes covering everything from on-farm practices to processing and export standards – reinforcing the transparency, safety, and quality that underpin Australian red meat.