Part of the federal government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, this three-part webinar series tackles the challenges of dealing with food loss and waste and the opportunities in upcycling discarded food into edible and otherwise useful products.
“Nationally, there are approximately 7.6 million tonnes of food wasted every year at a cost of $36.6 billion to the economy,” says Mark Barthel, Chief Operating Officer, Stop Food Waste Australia.
“Australia’s food can be better managed to reduce waste and loss, from packing sheds at the agricultural-sector level to processing and foodservice in commercial kitchens.
“There needs to be a whole-of-supply-chain view to better understand why so much food is being wasted and lost, and what the potential solutions are. Imagine, just for a moment, if we could halve this waste and turn millions of tonnes of waste into value-added products for Australia.
“This is the focus of this webinar series: helping small businesses to save money, create new products and respond to consumer demands that we think differently and become more responsible for reducing food waste and loss,” Barthel says.
The series is hosted by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources’ Entrepreneurs’ Programme, and the Australian Industry Group (AiGroup).
Webinar schedule
Webinar 1: Introduction to Food Waste from Packing to Processing – Challenges & Opportunities
Thu 9 Sept 2021, 1pm-2.15pm AEST
This webinar will provide an overview of food waste and loss in Australia, outline the challenges for SMEs in reducing this waste and explore potential opportunities to turn wastage into value.
It will also explore an industry case study of relevance.
Speakers include:
- Mark Barthel, COO, Stop Food Waste Australia;
- Carolyn Cameron, General Manager Food Sustainability, Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL);
- Tony Green, CEO, Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body.
Webinar 2: Successfully Reducing Your Food Waste & Loss
Thu 16 Sept 2021, 1pm-2.15pm AEST
In webinar 2, Mark Barthel, COO of Stop Food Waste Australia, will look at strategies businesses can use to reduce food waste and loss, using three industry case studies to illustrate waste-reduction success strategies.
Webinar 3: Solutions, Tools & Support available for SMEs to Reduce Food Waste & Loss
Thu 23 Sept 2021, 1pm-2.15pm AEST
The focus of the third and final webinar in the series is on food loss and waste reduction solutions, and on the tools and support available to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia minimise their ‘food-waste footprints’. Speakers include:
- Stop Food Waste Australia’s Voluntary Agreement Manager Sam Oakden;
- Nerida Kelton, Executive Director at the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP);
- Dr Pablo Juliano, Group Leader, Food Processing and Supply Chains at CSIRO; and
- Paul Mason from the Entrepreneurs’ Programme.
Additional information
For each webinar eligible participants attend, they receive:
- 2 CPD points towards the CPP from the Australian Institute of Packaging;
- 1 CPD Point from the Australasian Supply Chain Institute;
- 1 CPD point from the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology.
This webinar series is live and interactive, delivered via Zoom. It is free of charge; however, pre-registration is necessary. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be sent the event details and a Zoom link.
For more information, contact Brett Henderson from the Entrepreneurs’ Programme at Brett.Henderson@ep.industry.gov.au
About the Entrepreneurs’ Programme
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme provides quality advice and support to help businesses innovate and grow. For further information on what services may be available to you, visit the EP web page.