The Framework Explained: Nutrition

Beef Nutritional Profile

THE public dialogue surrounding sustainability is very often centred on environmental performance measures such as carbon emissions or soil and water health, as well as animal welfare.

True sustainability is, however, the integration of environmental, animal, economic and social considerations and that is why People and the Community is included as one of the four themes of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF).

This theme seeks to ensure the wellbeing of both those working within the industry, and the consumers they serve, and the contribution Australian beef businesses make to global food security by providing access to safely produced protein. As such, Nutrition has been identified as one of the eight priority issues within the People and the Community theme.

Lean beef is a nutrition powerhouse and provides 12 essential nutrients recommended for good health, with an average 150g serving (raw weight) of lean red meat providing an excellent source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12. It also delivers more iron than other animal proteins such as chicken or fish. In 2021, Australia provided beef for approximately 32.3 billion meal portions of red meat.

ABSF Sustainability Steering Group (SSG) Chair, Mark Davie, said the inclusion of nutrition within the ABSF was due to the central role Australian beef played in the wellbeing of global populations.

“When we talk about sustainability, very often it is the environment or animal welfare that first comes to mind, however protecting the health of our communities through provision of high quality and nourishing food is also of the utmost importance when taking a holistic view,” Mr Davie said.

“Healthy people and communities are one of the most important elements of sustainability and for this reason the ABSF sees nutrition as a key marker of success.

“It is also why organisations such as Meat & Livestock Australia invest heavily in understanding the nutritional value of red meat and how it can be integrated into healthy and sustainable diets.

“Not only does this benefit Australian beef businesses and the prosperity of the people who work within them, but also the many millions of people they help to feed and keep well, right across the globe.”