Freshcare CEO Jane Siebum has announced a new board initiative which will see the creation of a national horticulture and wine industry committee. The initiative aims to establish a collaborative working group, focused on bringing together the diverse range of Australian horticulture and wine industry stakeholders to shape the future of these sectors.

During her presentation at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Outlook 2023 conference in Canberra, Siebum announced to delegates the ‘Freshcare Industry Collaboration Committee’ will drive the development of assurance programs which support, promote and provide security for Australian horticulture and wine producers.

Freshcare chairperson Allan Dall said this is a great opportunity to create a working group which comprehensively represents the diversity of the Australian horticulture and wine industries.

“As Australia’s largest assurance standard in the horticulture and wine industries in Australia I’m pleased to announce this Board led initiative that builds on our already strong governance framework and increases options for industry to contribute to our long-term strategy and direction,” Dall said.

“The Freshcare Industry Collaboration Committee creates an opportunity for members of industry and the supply chain to have meaningful input to the strategic direction of our assurance standards in parallel to our established Technical Steering Committees for each standard.

“The Freshcare Board believes our organisation already represents a diverse range of stakeholders across horticulture, wine and the supply chain and can provide a much-needed platform for collaboration.

“We want to ensure a voice for all people who work across our industries through creating an inclusive collective to facilitate robust discussion and strategy development.”

The Freshcare Board will be calling for Expressions of Interest in the coming weeks and welcomes applications from growers, supply chain representatives, peak industry bodies and associations, retailers, government, Australian Indigenous communities, sustainability and climate experts. The goal is to effectively achieve representation across our diverse industries.

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