Australian Red Meat Digital Value Chain Strategy

Summary

The red meat industry is generating large amounts of data which could provide valuable insights into meat production, farm strategy and livestock management. This data is being used by individuals, however many are unsure how to interpret the data and turn it into a user-friendly format.

Industry would like to support growers by collating big data to develop national trends and information through the development and implementation of a Digital Value Chain Strategy.

Red Meat Digital Value Chain Strategy Forum

A key priority for MLA is the development and delivery of a red meat value chain digital strategy.  This strategy is critical for the long term sustainability of the industry to ensure:

• all players within the value chain are connected and particularly to the consumer (C2C Consumer to Cow)
• existing value is unlocked and shared among the value chain participants new value is created and captured
• industry position and reputation is protected and enhanced
• The industry remains competitive in a future world where a consumer operates very differently.

For MLA to develop an effective strategy it is critical that industry is engaged in the process and excited by the opportunities being created. MLA needs to ensure that our activities are 'demand driven' and that industry is comfortable with our role and approach in the digital space.

To assist MLA in developing its Red Meat Digital Value Chain Strategy a red meat forum was held in October 2016. A number of key speakers were selected to:

• Increase industry's awareness of existing and future digital opportunities
• highlight some of the challenges facing industry in realising these opportunities
• provide some case studies of success stories from inside and outside our industry.

The following day MLA facilitated a workshop with key supply chain participants to review MLA's draft strategy and to agree on the key actions and activities required by MLA to support industry in the digital space.
To find out more about the outcomes from the Workshop and Forum and presentations of the key note speaker, please click on the following links:

• Digital Value Chain Strategy Forum and Workshop Summary Report
• Digital Value Chain Strategy – Participant Input Summary
• Australian Red Meat Industry's Digital Strategy Forum

Digital Value Chain company managed activities

Company managed activities (CMAs) project was used to cover the meeting and publication expenses in developing a Red Meat Digital Value Chain strategy. The project included summarising the Digital forum content for industry feedback; Literature review for digital;  and travel and meeting costs for the DVCS taskforce and the open data forum.

A CMA project was also used to cover expenses associated with the follow up 2018 digital forum (held immediately after the 2018 Red Meat AGM).