POLICY

Guiding principles for a stronger industry

Shaped by industry leaders, for the future of fresh produce

Freshmark’s policy agenda is focused on solutions that make working in our sector easier, more appealing and more sustainable.

Labour

Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.

To achieve this, our focus is on ensuring the sector is seen as a viable and appealing industry for workers to join. This requires the development of formal career pathways and educational opportunities for workers; adequate training and support for businesses around compliance; appropriate regulation of labour hire practices; and a strong commitment to worker wellbeing.

  1. Implementation of industry-relevant tourist visa requirements that recognise the seasonality of our industry’s operations.
  2. Simplification of the regulatory environment, especially in relation to migrant workers. In particular, the PALM scheme must be revisited.
  3. Commitment to a level playing field for employers across the supply chain in terms of the level of compliance burden.
  4. Incentive programs to support businesses to take on new employees.
  5. Funding and other support to develop formal training programs and career pathways including the development of an industry apprenticeship program.

Food security

Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.

To achieve this, our focus is on ensuring the sector is seen as a viable and appealing industry for workers to join. This requires the development of formal career pathways and educational opportunities for workers; adequate training and support for businesses around compliance; appropriate regulation of labour hire practices; and a strong commitment to worker wellbeing.

  1. Continue to assess and address challenges in transport and logistics which pose a threat to food security, especially through ongoing investment in road and rail freight infrastructure.
  2. Support a broad public campaign around the value of fresh produce to the consumer.
  3. Seek opportunities to reduce the burden of regulatory compliance, to support businesses across the supply chain to stay in the sector.
  4. Level the playing field around compliance so that legislation is right-sized for the businesses in the supply chain and ensures a fair go for all industry participants.

Environemnt

Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.

To achieve this, our focus is on ensuring the sector is seen as a viable and appealing industry for workers to join. This requires the development of formal career pathways and educational opportunities for workers; adequate training and support for businesses around compliance; appropriate regulation of labour hire practices; and a strong commitment to worker wellbeing.

  1. Funding to support the transition from single use to reusable packaging.
  2. Funding to support the exploration and implementation of AI-enabled country of origin and other traceability projects.
  3. Simplification of ESG reporting requirements.
  4. Additional time or a staggered implementation of ESG reporting requirements to allow industry to prepare.
  5. Funding to assist in the creation of an industry-wide ESG framework in collaboration with the national body and other state bodies.
  6. Incentives and subsidies to support the transition to alternative fuels.
  7. Support for grower education programs to switch the production model from a push to pull approach, which would better match produce availability with consumer demand, reducing waste.

Regulation and governance

Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.

To achieve this, our focus is on ensuring the sector is seen as a viable and appealing industry for workers to join. This requires the development of formal career pathways and educational opportunities for workers; adequate training and support for businesses around compliance; appropriate regulation of labour hire practices; and a strong commitment to worker wellbeing.

  1. Commit to a single-but-scalable compliance scheme that addresses the in-built inequalities of the current system without applying ‘big business’ compliance burdens on smaller businesses.
  2. Proper resourcing of industry watchdogs to enable a shift from increasing legislative burden to adequate enforcement of existing requirements.
  3. Development of appropriate deterrents to ensure industry has faith in the systems of compliance (not simple fines that provide limited deterrent effect).
  4. Commitment to true industry engagement by regulatory authorities so that compliance schemes are right-sized and fit for purpose.

Consumer education

Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.

To achieve this, our focus is on ensuring the sector is seen as a viable and appealing industry for workers to join. This requires the development of formal career pathways and educational opportunities for workers; adequate training and support for businesses around compliance; appropriate regulation of labour hire practices; and a strong commitment to worker wellbeing.

  1. Review and update government dietary guidelines to ensure adequate and current messaging around the importance of fresh produce.
  2. Review and update primary and secondary curricula to ensure adequate and current messaging around the importance of fresh produce.
  3. Support industry campaigns to promote the nutritional value of fresh produce vs other food sources including ultra-processed foods.

Power in chamber unity

Freshmark has increased the amplification efforts of our advocacy by belonging to the Australian Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries Limited, trading as Fresh Markets Australia (FMA).

FMA is the national organisation representing each of the five Market Chambers, which themselves are organisations that represent the fruit and vegetable wholesalers located in each of Australia’s six central Markets (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Newcastle).