Sugarcane Industry Situational Analysis: Industry consultation and roadmap development

Sugarcane Industry Situational Analysis: Industry consultation and roadmap development
  • Reference # A.1.2021004
  • Project Status Current
  • Timeframe 9 months (2021 to 2022)
  • Project manager Ian Biggs
  • CRCNA Funding $288,000.00
  • Total project value $689,750.00
  • Project research participant Sugar Research Australia Limited ; Australian Sugar Milling Council ; Queensland Cane Growers Organisation ; Australian Cane Farmers Association ; AgForce Queensland Farmers
  • Research Programs 4. Building industry and capacity in Northern Australia
  • Location Brisbane, Mackay, Proserpine, Sarina, Burdekin, Ingham, Tully, Innisfail, Atherton Tablelands, Mossman, Cairns
  • Sugarcane
  • Agriculture
  • Strategic policy development

Summary

The Australian sugarcane industry has recognised that it is at a historical point in terms of the economic, social, and environmental outlook for both the short- and long-term future. Industry leaders have identified significant opportunities to drive sustainability and growth of the industry and now the industry intends to explore the development and implementation of its first industry-wide, consensus vision and roadmap to serve its overall best interests through to 2040.

Through undertaking broad industry engagement and consultation, this project will examine the industry’s current challenges and future opportunities for development. The objective is to deliver a roadmap for the sugarcane industry which clarifies  how the industry wants to develop and how it intends to get there over the next two decades.

Work will be conducted in four distinct phases, with frequent consultation with industry leaders and multiple rounds of broad consultation with the wider sugarcane industry. These are:

  1. Pre-Draft Roadmap Preparation – Project setup and kick-off, meta-analysis of previously commissioned work, consultation with leaders, production of situation analysis, preparation for the first round of broad industry consultation.
  2. Broad Industry Consultation 1 – Broad industry consultation through up to six virtual workshops  to share work to date, and source regional needs, perspectives and opportunities regarding industry vision and priorities. The situation analysis and outputs from the regions will shape the first draft of the roadmap.
  3. Draft Roadmap + Broad Industry Consultation 2 – Development of draft roadmap, consultation with industry leaders and integration of feedback, broad industry consultation (round 2) to ‘ground truth’ draft roadmap via 2 x virtual ‘town hall’ sessions. Feedback will be captured and provided back to industry and integrated into the draft roadmap.
  4. Integration and Delivery of Roadmap – Working closely with industry leaders to finalise documentation and roadmap launch.

Expected outcomes

The project will support the industry to develop a unified voice to its stakeholders, and to leverage its unique assets and attributes across diverse regions within a shared strategic framework.

Publications

5 July 2022

Sugar Plus: Fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication

Type: Report

Industry: Strategic policy development, Sugarcane, Supply chain development