IN BRIEF Carbon neutral and DEXA under the Senate spotlight Solid progress is beingmade on two of the redmeat industry’s mostambitious, high profilecurrent carbon balances and determineproducers to provide examples ofwhich approaches to adopt to close theMLA is currently working with individualprivate investment on their part andwith private processors to adopt theIn the meantime, MLA is workingtechnology using a combination of and promising initiatives, a carbon balance to neutral. MLA Donor Company funding. Senate estimates hearing in Over the next 12 months, 50 case Last month, three lamb processors Canberra was told in April. studies Australia‑wide will be signed MLA DEXA contracts to install conducted, which will provide the systems in their facilities. Questioning from the Rural and best pathways for the industry to be Jason told senators the DEXA Regional Affairs and Transport carbon neutral by 2030 or earlier. discussion was closely tied to Legislation Committee centred around Jason told senators there were already investment in innovation. ■ the progress being made in the red examples of individual producers meat industry’s bid to be carbon who’ve taken proactive steps and are Watch a carbon neutral case study neutral by 2030 and the roll‑out of Dual now in a position to be able to claim a on Dunkeld Pastoral Company via Energy X‑ray Absorptiometry, or DEXA, carbon‑positive production system. MLA’s YouTube channel: technology in processing plants. meatandlivestock DEXA technology MLA Managing Director Jason Strong Another big target announced by MLA, DEXA: told senators MLA was committed to this time in 2016, was the roll‑out and mla.com.au/dexa both programs. adoption of DEXA beef and sheep He said they come off the back of work units in all AUS‑MEAT‑registered plants Did you know? identifying the big challenges to the redacross the country. meat industry moving forward, and also DEXA technology provides timely, MLA is required to appear at position the industry to deal with those accurate and objective information Senate hearings twice a year challenges. on the lean meat, bone and fat as part of its matched research composition of each carcase. dollar‑for‑dollar funding agreement “We have to be thinking about what we with the Federal Government. need to move the needle and make a MLA is committed to responding to the big difference,” Jason said. widespread calls, both from producers To see MLA’s Senate hearing and governments, for the industry to appearance in full, go to: “Having more information is one of the have more transparent interactions ways to do that.” mla.com.au/aprilsenate along the supply chain – likely to be a Carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30) key aim in the impending Meat Industry The carbon neutral plan, known as Strategic Plan, which lays out the future CN30, was announced in 2017 at MLA’s direction and goals for the red meat and annual Red Meat event and is about livestock industry. taking action to get in front of claims Objective measurement technologies, against the industry with respect including DEXA, are a significant and to impacts of climate change and practical way for increasing industry carbon production. transparency and MLA has invested $40 million to date on completed, Various research initiatives, brought underway and contracted projects in together by CSIRO, suggested carbon this space. neutrality was possible for the industry in that timeframe and will significantly MLA kick‑started the initiative for a contribute to Australian beef and lamb’s whole‑of‑industry shared investment competitive offering in the global market.to see DEXA installed in processing facilities. An industry taskforce to In fact, since the CN30 target was ascertain how the initiative could be announced, a large US hotel group has rolled out is still working to secure selected Australian red meat over other agreement on a suitable funding model global suppliers based predominantly for whole‑of‑industry adoption. on that goal. 5