IN MARKET GROWING DEMAND JAPAN Japan’s population: • 127.2m in 2018 • 125.7 projected for 2022 (due to an ageing population and a flat birth rate). Australian beef exports to Japan: • volume – 307,339 tonnes swt • value – $2,117.1m (2017 and 2018) • share of imports – 52%. Australian sheepmeat exports to Japan: • volume – 14,828 tonnes swt • value – $141.9m (2017 and 2018) • share of imports – 60%. Going for gold with Japanese consumption: Australian beef Total 52.8kg per capita in 2018, excluding seafood. Beef made Japan is hosting two of the world’s The Forum was attended by 33 major up 10.3kg per capita largest sporting events in the next 18 customers from retail, trade and and sheepmeat .03kg months – the Rugby World Cup and foodservice, including McDonald’s and per capita, with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Japan’s largest retailer, AEON, along with pork followed by 21 journalists and key influencers. chicken the dominant MLA is a major partner of the Australian “Interest in sustainability in Japan has not animal proteins. Olympic Team and this means Australian been as mainstream as it is in western beef will be served at all team functions. markets, but it has certainly been Japanese households With the 2020 TokyoOlypcs aiming increasing over the past few years, and earning more than to be the ‘greenest games ever’, the Tokyo Olympics has pushed the topic US$50,000/year: food sustainability is becoming topical further up the agenda with consumers,” • 15.3m in 2018 in Japan. Andrew said. • forecast 22.6m in 2022. To ensure the Australian beef industry is “It’s an area where we’ve got a great story recognised as a global leader on the issue to tell and be ahead of our competitors. Want to know more? of sustainability, MLA hosted the inauguralIt also builds on Australia’s reputation Check out mla.com.au/ Aussie Beef Sustainability Forum in Chiba as a safe and trusted supplier of beef, market-snapshots for a City in February, in conjunction with the and that we’re a natural place for beef more in-depth look at Supermarket Trade Show. production.” ■ key markets. 45