The Food Production Action Agenda encompasses primarily the target markets of Fruit and Orchards, Vegetable Growing and Organic Farming, as well as broadacre and pasture. There is a strong consumer market demand for safe, quality food products (fresh and cooked) that are grown more in a manner more conducive with Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD).
In response, CORE has designed a "Sustainable Quality Model" (SQM), that provides a "sustainable quality" product category to be positioned in the Retail Food and Produce Market, as well as a related concept for the Restaurant and Catering Market. The aim of the SQM is to maximise the sustainability of productive ecosystems and stimulate the restoration of degraded environments, while creating higher quality food products for the present and future generations.
Food supplied and branded under the SQM is to be produced by an agricultural system that is a hybrid between totally organically grown and conventionally (mostly chemically) grown food. Critically, under the hybrid, the use of non-chemical based Recycled Organics (RO) inputs such as composts, mulches, manures, vermi-composts, biofertilisers and microbial inoculants is to be enhanced. It is still possible for producers to use minimised levels of chemical inputs in the short-term. In this way, the SQM allows for environmental improvement, but removes some of the extensive rigours and requirements of the certified organic and biodynamic methods that hinder their uptake.
However, the SQM could be used as a stepping-stone for growers to become "certified organic" or "bio-dynamic" producers. In this way, positive collaborative links can exist between with the Biodynamic and Certified Organic Sectors by enhancing future participation in their schemes. For more information on certification see the Organic Federation of Australia.
Analogous to other similar positioned food groups on the supermarket shelves such as the "Body Egg", the SQM positioning strategy's precepts are based on consumers' willingness to pay a higher market price for higher quality food. This premium pricing strategy can remove growers' concerns about additional costs of using RO based inputs in a price sensitive produce market.
For those food producers interested in participating, updateable marketing kits are available including product information, technical data, case studies, test results, market intelligence information, testimonials and relevant media materials.
