Key food producers and industry leaders across the production chain have been secured for a forum in Shepparton.
Keynote speaker, Australian Food and Grocery Council CEO Tanya Barden, will present at the dinner on Tuesday, September 3 at the Woolshed, Kialla.
The program also features Noumi CEO Michael Perich, SPC CEO Neil Brimacombe, Unilever Australia’s head of sustainable business Brooke Sprott, GOFarm Sandmount Farms manager Nick Raleigh, J. and M. Shannon Pastoral Co director Nathan Shannon, and Redland Fruit general manager of fruit operations Sam Bowman.
The event has been organised by the Committee for Greater Shepparton and the program will start at 4pm, followed by the dinner.
C4GS CEO Linda Nieuwenhuizen said the forum represented an opportunity to hear from the food industry’s peak body, and also to hear discussion from major investors in food production in northern Victoria.
“Food and grocery production and manufacturing is our region’s engine room,” Ms Nieuwenhuizen said.
“We are home to iconic Australian brands, world leading companies and innovative producers.”
She said the speaker line-up was diverse, from SPC — one of the region’s oldest and most iconic local manufacturers, to one of the region’s newest — Goodness Grown, which is currently constructing the equivalent of 10 MCGs of high-tech glasshouses in Tongala.
The line-up will move from global to local, exploring the sustainability priorities embedded in Unilever’s global operations, while also looking local to Shannon Farms’ and their successful transition into intensive dairy.
“We look forward to wide-ranging conversations from workforce and skills, packaging, ESG and sustainability — alongside AI, automation and energy,” Ms Nieuwenhuizen said.
“We are excited for our members to hear the future ambition for organisations that many of us think we already know — such as SPC, Redlands, Unilever and Noumi.
“While the outside of their facilities may look the same, there is plenty happening inside.”
This event is for C4GS members only. For further information and bookings, go to: https://www.trybooking.com/CULDG