Grower groups from across Australia and national representative bodies have jointly supported a newly released 2023/24 Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework that will help the horticulture sector share its sustainable, ethical, and safe farming practice stories with stakeholders.

Developed through Hort Innovation, this resource equips growers to proactively manage sustainability now, and in the future. Hort Innovation worked with more than 600 stakeholders to deliver the Framework, which promotes sustainable and responsible care for our natural environment and provides a vital roadmap for a stronger Australian farming future.

The Sustainability Framework has identified four areas significant to the sustainable production of fruits, vegetables, nuts and amenity horticulture in Australia:

• Nourish & Nurture recognises the role of Australian horticultural produce in improving diets, health and wellbeing by providing safe, quality food and greenlife.
• People & Enterprise identifies the strong links between the people, enterprises, communities and economic value of Australian-grown horticulture.
• Planet & Resources focusses on sustainable agricultural practices by reducing any impacts on the natural environment and on the dependence of horticultural production on resources, biosecurity.
• Climate & Waste is about reducing all forms of waste in horticultural production and resilience to climatic variability.

Read the 2023/24 Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework here.