A strong bio-economy will prove to be an important way to value-add to our already vibrant sugar industry, and to diversify the regional economy.
This week, we have seen Mackay region’s role in Queensland’s emerging bio-economy validated, with the staging of the Life Sciences Queensland Bioeconomy Forum held at Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre on Monday.
The forum brought together Queensland’s key stakeholders across industrial, agricultural and environmental biotechnology, in a program that included keynote presentations and panel discussions. Some major players that were included in the event included Nick Hazell of v2food, a major player in plant-based protein production, and Ben van Delden, Head of AgriFood Tech and Circular Economy Advisory at KPMG Australia.
Visitors to the region were joined by State Government department representatives and regional industry leaders, including Mercurius Biorefining CEO Karl Seck, Mackay Sugar CEO Jannik Olejas, and GW3 CEO Kylie Porter.
The forum discussed approaches and technologies that support our growing local bio-based economy to meet global demand for more sustainable energy, processes and products.
It’s exciting stuff that tailors to the value-adding and diversification ideas contained in Sugar Plus, the sugar industry roadmap developed by key sugar industry organisations. But what does that really mean for growers? Ideas about value-adding have been mooted for years: how is now different?
Sometimes, great ideas have their moment, and now is that moment of critical mass for a bio-economy to emerge in the Mackay region. As the world looks for better, more sustainable solutions to energy, fibre and food, and sugarcane is at ground zero for that.
The crop already occupies a sizeable footprint not just here in Mackay but along Queensland’s coast, but Mackay has that perfect capacity of a strong sugarcane growing sector and an abundance of world-class engineering firms. Our small city has the space to develop a greenfields site for new processing and research facilities, and what is more, there is the will to make it happen across our industry and across the region’s economic and political leadership.
CANEGROWERS Mackay is committed to making sure that our members get a good deal in any emerging bio-economy, and that cane growers get a place at the table in any industry deals. It is not enough to have a top-down approach: if a premium industry is to develop in this then it is equally important that there is good benefit for the growers of the base material – sugarcane.
It is also essential that we have a voice in the emergence of our regional bio-economy, and to that end, CANEGROWERS Mackay CEO Kerry Latter takes a place at the discussion table, representing members at the Greater Whitsunday Biofutures Leaders Group and the Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday Agribusiness Future Alliance Project.
CANEGROWERS Mackay has plans to host an event for growers and bioeconomy players post-crush season.
We will continue to speak for the betterment of our growers.
By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay
CANEGROWERS Mackay Chairman Kevin Borg with SRA District Manager - Central Dylan Wedel at the Life Sciences Queensland Bioeconomy Forum. Picture: Contributed
Plant-based protein has a growing presence in the market, sourced from plant stocks such as sugarcane or legumes. Mackay has been slated by the Queensland Government as a centre for development in this production space. Picture: courtesy CSIRO
From Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Ram Mereddy, Michael Brown and Paul Burt with CANEGROWERS Mackay CEO Kerry Latter and Chairman Kevin Borg at the LSQ Bioeconomy Forum. Picture: Contributed
Talking ahead of the forum, from left, GW3 CEO Kylie Porter, with Jarrah Steen GW3 decarbonisation project, CSIRO Main Sequence commercialisation and venture capital unit’s Phil Morle and Gabrielle Munzer. Picture Contributed
