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Have your say about food waste Words by Emily Mantilla
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he Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre’s (FFWCRC) Industry Connection Hub has launched a training needs analysis survey to help guide the development of new training programs and innovative education delivery mechanisms for Australian food businesses. To get the Industry Connection Hub off the ground, the FFWCRC is asking all AIFST members and food australia subscribers to support the initiative by completing the survey themselves and sharing it widely with colleagues, collaborators and partners. The survey component of the training needs analysis is a critical first step in gathering information on what are the training opportunities and what knowledge gaps need to be filled for Australian food businesses throughout the entire supply chain. The training needs analysis survey results will ultimately deliver targeted training solutions that will help food businesses save money and help them learn and understand where they could
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be saving money. It will also assist with the adoption of new, innovative ideas in business that will create new income streams from food waste. Many food businesses could be making more profit from food waste, and the FFWCRC is currently looking for responses to this important survey from the Australian food industry, from each of the many different sectors and from all areas of the supply chain. As such, the CRC is seeking responses from everyone involved in the food industry supply chain growers, producers, farmers, those within the fishing and aquaculture industry sectors, harvesters, processors, value-adders, packers, those in quality assurance, sales and marketing roles, logistics, compliance (such as food safety, regulations and OH&S), wholesalers, retailers and food service. The survey is focussed on four key areas: • Opinions about where food waste is generated most in different parts of a food business
• What areas of training will have the biggest impact on reducing food waste in your particular business or sector of the food industry • What training already exists in Australia or overseas that could be adapted or updated to make it more current or Australian focused • How would you like training solutions and innovations delivered within your sector of the Australian food industry Those who take part in the survey will go into a draw to win a $200 VISA voucher, or a $200 donation to a food rescue charity of your choice. Please take 10 to 15 minutes to complete survey and be part of the fight food waste revolution in Australia: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ FightFoodWaste Emily Mantilla works for Honey and Fox Pty Ltd (a participant company in the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre) and is the Industry Connection Hub Manager. f
