A message from our Chief Executive Officer
I am very pleased to present Premier Fresh Australia’s inaugural ESG statement. The report establishes Premier’s Sustainability Framework in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely People, Environment & Community.
Premier’s origins date back almost eighty years, beginning as a family owned and operated business, including being one of the early pioneers of protected cropping, through familyowned greenhouse crop production in Mildura in the 1940’s.
This innovative and can-do spirit has stayed with the business as it has grown over the subsequent decades. We are now uniquely positioned as an industry leader in that we grow and supply fresh, nutritious and healthy food across both Australia and internationally.
This means we make an important contribution to global food security and the availability of quality, healthy and affordable fresh produce.
Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do through our vast supply chains, and our inaugural ESG Statement aims to provide details into all those initiatives and our areas of focus as we move forward on our sustainability journey.
I would like to thank all those that are part of our journey and for the development of this inaugural statement. Together, we are growing for future generations.
ANTHONY DI PIETRO Group CEO
A message from our Executive GM Operations, Services and Farming
I am very happy to launch Premier Fresh Australia’s inaugural ESG Statement.
Over the last 12 months a great deal of work has gone into delivering measurable GHG emission reductions and shaping our key ESG objectives for the future.
We believe our inaugural statement provides the foundation on which we will continue to demonstrate an industry leading approach to sustainability and GHG reporting.
One of our most important initiatives is to have a workforce that is engaged, valued and rewarded for effort; partner growers who share our commitment to ethical sourcing through the entire supply chain; demonstrated environmental stewardship, especially in the way we utilise precious natural resources, and recognition of the need to engage productively with our many stakeholders, especially those communities in which we operate. This is what we call ‘Growing for future Generations’.
ESG & Sustainability are now an important part of how a company performs. This includes its profitability, its longevity and success, its willingness to take ownership and responsibility for key issues that affect both it and the wider community, and the way in which it addresses such risks and opportunities.
An example of this is our intention, as part of our future Lancaster Farms development plans, to invest in renewable energy including utilising biomass to generate clean energy. We are also focused on developing our capability to use integrated pest management, which introduces biological and cultural practices to control pests, thereby reducing the use of pesticides and chemicals.
Thanks to all our hard-working teams and partners across the supply chain that share in our common goals.
STEPHEN MILLAR Executive General Manager Operations, Services and Farming
About Premier
Premier Fresh Australia is one of Australia’s leading fresh produce supply chain companies.
A nationwide fresh produce farming, marketing, packing, controlled ripening and distribution company
The business employs over 460 staff across a portfolio of:
3 owned and operated farming sites including field and protected cropping, and packing operations
5 central market trading locations across all major Australian cities
5 warehouse, distribution and ripening facility locations across all major Australian cities
Marketing for over 400 growers Australia wide, supporting year-round supply
A key partner to Australia’s major retailers, complemented by export to 14 countries and sales from Premier market floors
Committed to the success of our people and passionate about growing the business for future generations
Premier Fresh Australia Sustainability Framework
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (below) set-out by the United Nations form part of the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.
The goals are blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet, now and into the future. At it’s heart, the goals are a call for action by all countries in a global partnership, to end poverty and other deprivations and improve health, education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth, whilst tackling climate change and preserving forests and oceans.
Premier’s sustainability framework is aligned with some of the main focus areas of the UN’s sustainability agenda. In particular: People, Community and Environment.
United Nations Sustainability Development Goals
Premier Fresh Australia Sustainability Framework
With an eighty-year history in the fresh produce industry, Premier is proud of being a leading grower and supplier of fruit and vegetables both in Australia and Internationally. We do this through our vertically integrated operations, and that of our partner growers.
This places us at the forefront of providing healthy, nutritious food to millions of people, contributing to their food security, making fresh food more affordable and readily available, and enabling them to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits that comes with this.
Premier is committed to establishing our own unique Sustainability Framework focused on ‘Growing Together’ with our people, our partner
Building on our reputation as an industry employer of choice and innovator, by attracting, developing and retaining the current and future industry leaders to our business, while always committing to ethical sourcing through applying lawful, fair and inclusive employment practices across our own operations and partner growers. Ensuring we practice responsible and productive environmental supply chain, sustainably and efficiently using our precious natural resources, and where environmental impact, while to the continuous development and success of the communities in which we operate Through not only our economic presence, but also recognising and supporting those people and organisations that provide so important to the success of regional and rural communities.
Premier Fresh Australia Sustainability Framework
People
Acknowledging that people are our most important asset and will drive the development of not only our sustainability objectives, but also the overall success of our business, we are committed to having in place a working environment that:
Commits to maintaining the lawful,fair and ethical engagement of people through the entire supply chain
Prioritises health, safety and wellbeing
Rewards effort, initiative, and success
Establishes clear career pathways
Supports and provides education and training opportunities for those seeking a career in agriculture
Promotes diversity and inclusion free from discrimination
Encourages our people to actively contribute to realising our
Community
Establishing and maintaining a social licence to operate contributes to both our own success and that of the communities in which we are privileged to operate in. We will continually strive to be a productive member of these communities through:
Supplying sustainably grown and ethically sourced healthy, nutritious and affordable food to feed our population, and help to prevent and reduce the incidence of chronic disease and illness
Supporting people and community organisations which promote social cohesion and health and wellbeing
Providing opportunities for local people to live, build a career and raise a family without the need to move away from their community
Maintaining relationships with our neighbours and relevant stakeholders including government, to ensure issues of common interest can be dealt with at all times in an open, productive and transparent way
Premier Fresh Australia
Sustainability Framework
Environment
Our focus on environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices across four key areas.
Continuing to invest in the best available technology which improves our efficiency of use per kilogram of product produced through the application, capture, recycling and reuse of water.
Developing a platform for calculating and reporting scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, and working towards the implementation of a renewable energy capacity that provides an emissions reduction, supported by the adoption of scientific based targets.
Recognising the importance of avoiding the disposal of waste to landfill, we will utilise technology and the most efficient agronomic practices to reduce our waste footprint. This includes providing farm waste for inclusion in value-add products and for use in composting, in the most environmentally sustainable packaging, which does not compromise product integrity and shelf life/longevity.
Commencing the process of identifying the risks associated with biodiversity and ecosystem degradation and factoring them into our decision making. An ongoing priority is to further develop our capability to use integrated pest management techniques, which combine biological, cultural, and chemical practices to control pests, thereby reducing our use of pesticides and chemicals.
People
Premier has a workforce of over 460 engaged both directly and through our third-party labour hire providers from over 50 nationalities. We also source product from our 400+ partner growers, who provide employment for several thousand people.
Alignment with UN Sustainability Goals
The key to our success is driven by the quality of our people and the continued recognition of people being our most valuable asset. This means we are focused on providing a positive workplace and working environment in which our people and those employed through our supply chain are treated lawfully, fairly and ethically.
Labour Hire
Internal audits of our third party labour suppliers are conducted on an ongoing basis. This includes auditing compliance against Premier’s Labour Hire Service Agreement and all relevant state and federal legislation.
Labour Hire Service Agreements make clear Premier’s expectations with respect to the conduct and legal compliance of such suppliers, including explicit reference to Premier’s Ethical Sourcing and Modern Slavery Policy. Premier periodically reviews our internal control and risk management systems to ensure we properly monitor and where identified, immediately address and remediate any modern slavery risks or activity.
Modern Slavery Statement
Premier has released three Modern Slavery Statements to date. Management of modern slavery risk both in our own operations and that of our supply chain is guided by our Ethical Sourcing and Modern Slavery policy as endorsed by our Board. We have worked to understand our supply chain risks, and our major suppliers of products and services which are 95% Australian based include:
Growers – Direct and third party suppliers of fresh produce
Market Agents – Third party suppliers of fresh produce
Transportation – Road, air and sea freight
Packaging – Domestically procured
Labour – Third party
People
PALM Program
Premier Fresh Australia source labour through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) to meet our labour demands on farm. The PALM scheme has become an integral part of our labour strategy. Premier’s wholly owned Darwin Fruit Farms (DFF) is an approved employer under the scheme, ensuring a continued reliable workforce. In the 2024 reporting period there were 29 direct replacements of Seasonal Workers at our DFF operations.
Since the implementation of the new PALM Deed and accompanying guidelines, DFF has maintained an impeccable record, reporting no contraventions of the deed.
Premier continue to use Labour Hire Providers to supply the Seasonal Worker workforce across our wholly owned farms in Far North Queensland.
Gender Equality
Premier recognises and values the importance of diversity and inclusion. Our commitment to diversity extends to all parts of our business, and is reflected in our recruitment and selection processes, training and development, retention of employees, forms of leave, flexible working arrangements, succession planning and company policies and procedures.
Premier submits an annual report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency detailing the breakdown of its workforce by gender over any given 12-month period. The 2023-2024 publication indicated that Premier maintained a strong position in the diversity of role appointments, with 50% of manager roles and 45% of non-manager role appointments being female.
Premier ‘Growing You’ Program
Training and development are central to Premier’s strategy for attracting and retaining talent within our organisation. We acknowledge the significance of offering our employees opportunities to acquire skills and diverse experiences that will empower them to pursue a meaningful career trajectory.
Our ‘Growing You’ program, launched in 2018, is designed to attract new talent externally while concurrently identifying and developing the capabilities, skills, and knowledge of existing employees within the organisation.
People Graduate
Program
Premier’s ability to attract talent from the ground up in what is a highly competitive labour market is critical. The Graduate program offers a unique opportunity for high calibre individuals who have undertaken a graduate degree or equivalent qualification and are eager to establish a fulfilling career within the industry.
Premier currently boasts a robust cohort of graduates across various disciplines, including Commercial, International, and Human Resources.
Throughout their two-year program, our graduates engage in a structured development journey within their respective work streams. They also gain exposure to a diverse array of disciplines across the company, including farming, operations, quality and technical, and marketing, through a comprehensive rotational placement.
High Performance Program
The high-performance program is designed to foster personal growth and advance career trajectories. This essential talent strategy focuses on nurturing internal talent and engaging high-performing employees, enabling participants to continually acquire new skills and accelerate their career development. Candidates chosen for the program collaborate with their managers to identify specific competencies and create a structured development plan.
Akila Azad joined Premier in 2021 as a Quality & Technical Graduate and has successfully transitioned into a permanent position within the Quality & Technical team as a Quality Officer – Veg. She was chosen to participate in the HighPerformance Program, where she continues to enhance her skill set. Akila exemplifies the success of our Growing You Program.
People
Health & Safety
Premier has made health and safety a core value, and continued improvement is embedded in our day-to-day operations and long-term strategy. We make this a reality by engaging with our people through our leadership team and promoting the exchange of ideas to identify and address health and safety risks, the promotion of best practice and striving to achieve more than just compliance, but to also meet agreed objectives and targets.
To achieve this, Premier’s health and safety initiatives include:
Key safety systems that underpin our operations.
Setting of targets and the use of performance indicators to track progress including:
• 100% completion of monthly HSW committee meetings
• 100% completion of monthly Workplace Inspections
• Completion or review of 2 risk assessments monthly
• Corrective actions reported & tracked
• Risk register updated monthly
Hazard Identification Program and continuous improvement in control measures.
Implementation of a Learning Management System, EdApp, to improve our health and safety training, including induction programs.
Regular reporting on health and safety performance to line managers, senior leaders and the Premier Board
Range of workplace initiatives to promote and embed a culture of health and wellbeing, including the provision of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), regular tool box talks, site safety BBQs and recognition of dedicated days and events, including RU OK Day.
Promoting a safety culture
Premier always seeks to promote ways in which to improve worker safety and embed a safety-first culture in our workplaces.
This has included the use of IT, with the installation of QR codes across our sites, enabling employees to submit and report on any safety hazards and near misses in real time.
Making it easier for people to be proactive about safety hazards and near misses ensures we are better equipped to address issues as they arise before a serious incident can occur.
People
Forklift Safety
In line with Premier’s commitment to continuous improvement, a comprehensive review of the existing national forklift fleet was conducted in line with sustainability targets. Following the review, plans are underway for a fleet upgrade that moves Premier towards its goals with more environmentally friendly vehicles and enhanced safety features.
Some of the features include:
Blue Light – Front & Rear
Red Halo lights
Led Strobe light
Rear Screen
Front Screen
Windscreens
Additionally, a total of 12 forklifts across the operations warehouses will be fitted with an AI technology with front and rear cameras and auto speed reduction to reduce the risk of forklift and pedestrian incidents.
Forklift safety remains a top priority across our national business. In addition to upgrading our existing fleet, we have rigorous safety systems that underpin our commitment to continuous improvement and risk mitigation.
“Premier is at the forefront of providing healthy, nutritious food to millions of people, contributing to their food security”.
Darwin Fruit Farms (Humpty Doo, NT) Banana Plantations
People
Psychosocial Health & Safety
With regulatory changes, alongside evolving work environments and increased awareness of mental health issues, turning a spotlight on psychosocial safety at work, Premier are committed to ensuring psychosocial safety forms a significant part of our safety program.
We recently worked with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce (VECCI) in partnership with EML to deliver a ‘Mental Health Comply Program’ at Premier.
Across a 3-month period, the following actions were undertaken:
Gap analysis audit and report conducted with Premier.
Workshop for managers and senior leaders.
Employee survey asking our staff to provide anonymous feedback on psychosocial hazards.
At the end of the program, we were provided with a report outlining any recommended actions to implement to assist with ensuring our positive duty to prevent and eliminate workplace discrimination and harassment.
Employee Assistance Program
The mental health and wellbeing of our workforce is important to maintaining a productive workplace and ensuring our people are given the type of support they may need when experiencing issues both inside and outside of work. Premier operates an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by Mindfit. The EAP is available to all employees and eligible immediate family members, providing a range of services and support relating to dealing with and managing grief, anxiety, stress and depression.
Environment
Environment
Premier’s focus on the environment is multi-faceted, with a common commitment to practice responsible environmental stewardship.
Lancaster Farms
Premier’s Lancaster Farms operation is located in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, and consists of a five-hectare greenhouse with a retractable roof in which gourmet tomatoes are grown. When established, it was Australia’s first retractable roof greenhouse to grow hydroponic gourmet tomatoes. Lancaster Farms is one of Australia’s most sustainable farming operations.
The use of protected cropping technology provides a number of environmental benefits, relating to water use efficiency, adapting to climate change, including protection from extreme weather events, and the opportunity to use renewable energy sources and improve energy security.
Water
The utilisation of state-of-the-art water technology, including drip application and engineered drainage systems, allows for water used in the greenhouse to be captured, stored, recycled and reused. Any excess water is applied to the persimmon crop, which contributes to a closed loop process.
The water from the greenhouse roof and hardstand areas is captured in on-site water tanks and dams and processed for use in the greenhouse.
Protected cropping also allows for more efficient water use with respect to yield, delivering a greater comparable yield per unit of water versus field crops.
Waste
A bio mulcher is currently used on the Lancaster site in which plant waste is collected and turned into compost which is used on the persimmon crop. This avoids the disposal of waste to landfill, and it is intended to develop this capacity further for a broader range of environmental applications.
Environment
Climate Change
Although Premier has not yet set a carbon emissions reduction target, it fully supports this positive action and will explore ways in which it can take practical action to contribute to meeting such targets over the coming years. Scoping work is also being done to identify any opportunities for greener energy on all sites.
Biodiversity
Minimising pesticide and chemical use are an ongoing priority, and our ambition where practical is to develop a capability to further use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, which combine biological, cultural, and chemical practices to control pests. Reducing the use of pesticides through vigilant pest monitoring is also important given the increasing number of pests developing resistance to chemical pest control. The CSIRO has noted that worldwide more than 500 species of insects, mites and spiders have developed some level of pesticide resistance.
Partner growers lead the way on reducing waste
Our partner growers are just as committed as we are to addressing waste. Gilberts, one of our partner banana growers has trialed paper slip sheets in banana cartons as an alternative to plastic. The use of slip sheets is important in protecting boxed bananas from sustaining damage, including punctures which can result in the fruit having to be discarded as waste. If the paper slip sheets prove successful, they could be rolled out across the Premier grower partner base and significantly reduce the use of plastic in the packing and storage of bananas.
Green Collar Scheme
Premier’s banana operations participate in the Green Collar Scheme, one of the first plastic recycling project developers to offer verified credits under Verra’s Plastic Waste Reduction Standard.
Working with MAMS, a local Far North Queensland owned waste company with over 30 years’ experience in the waste collection industry, Premier provides plastic waste for recycling, including banana bunch bags from our ABC banana operation.
Environment
Premier’s Banana Farming Network
Premier has the most diverse and sustainable banana supply network in the country, strategically located for supply chain efficiency and risk mitigation against weather events.
ABC is Premier’s owned banana farming and packing facility in Innisfail, Queensland. Established in 1995, ABC operates year-round and supports six banana farms across the region. IBFC is Premier’s joint venture banana farm that it operates with the Borsato Family. DFF is Premier’s owned banana farming operation in Darwin, the NT’s only commercial banana farm.
Value Adding
In calendar year 2023, Premier market circa 58,000 tonnes of bananas, sold to both retail and wholesale customers throughout Australia. The typical formation of banana bunches means circa 25% of the bunch fruit is either too large or too small, or does not meet specifications and/ or would not generate a sufficient economic/ financial return to warrant the harvesting, packing, transporting and marketing.
Independent Environmental Audits
Our ABC operation in FNQ is independently audited against environmental practices that impact the environment and has achieved Freshcare Code of Practice Environmental Edition 3 & Reef Scheme. The Code of Practice covers areas including environmental action planning, land and soil, biosecurity, chemicals, fertilisers and soil additives, water, biodiversity, waste, air, energy and fuel.
ABC is able to provide up to 50% of the waste bananas to local food and ingredients manufacturers for use in high quality ingredients.
Environment
Packaging Innovation
Premier has spent considerable time and R&D investment in developing sustainable packaging innovation that meets future sustainability targets and reduces waste. We are also currently working with our retail customers on more sustainable branded packaging and as a founding member of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA), Premier fully supports the Position Statement on Fresh Produce Packaging which was released publicly by AFPA in September 2019.
See the four key things we do to minimise packaging waste.
Ensuring that the role of packaging is focused on providing consumers with freshly grown, healthy and nutritious food, and minimising food waste.
Removing any non-functional or surplus packaging by designing for optimal efficiency to maintain product freshness and maximising the availability of nutritious food.
Reducing the amount of packaging throughout the broader supply chain, and working toward developing a circular economy for packaging (where current packaging is recycled into new packaging) including recycled content.
Working with industry, suppliers, recyclers, and retailers to deliver outcomes, and encouraging the development of environmentally sustainable packaging.
A copy of the full statement can be found at freshproduce.org.au/media-releases/reducing packaging
Community
Community
Premier makes an important contribution to global food security and the availability of quality, healthy and affordable fresh produce.
1,500,000
In 2024, Premier celebrated it’s 4-year partnership with Foodbank reaching meals equivalent of fresh produce donated to those in need.
Access to Healthy & Nutritious Food
Premier supports a number of community based initiatives to help people have access to healthy and nutritious food and address problems such as food security and chronic preventable disease. We do this with several partners, across various locations.
Food Donations
We recognise our responsibility to ensure as many people as possible, especially those experiencing hardship and food insecurity, have access to fresh food, as this is vitally important to quality of life and population health. The Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 found more than 3.7m Australian households have experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months, and that rising cost of living is the most common reason why people in Australia are struggling to put food on the table. Premier provides weekly donations to Foodbank of fresh produce including bananas and citrus nationwide from across our operations. These donations go a long way in assisting people and communities in need. Over the last 4 years, fresh produce donated by Premier to Foodbank was the equivalent of 1,500,000 meals.
Community
Supporting The Royal Children’s Hospital
Premier has a long standing relationship with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. Fresh produce is donated each week to the Cancer Care Kookaburra Ward for the kids and their visiting family and friends to enjoy.
Melbourne Victory School Holiday Program
Healthy eating goes hand in hand with an active lifestyle, and in recognition of this Premier actively supports the Melbourne Victory’s school holiday program, providing fresh fruit for all participants.
The program is funded by the Victorian Department of Education, providing secondary school students with the opportunity to engage with Melbourne Victory staff, coaches and players, as well as participate in education, cultural and employment sessions.
School Breakfast Club Program
Since 2016 Premier have supplied fruit to the Victorian School Breakfast Club Program, which is dedicated to ensuring school age children have access to healthy, fresh breakfasts. Research shows that a child’s ability to concentrate in class, self-regulate and learn is negatively impacted if they are hungry. The Program provides free and healthy food for students in 1,000 Victorian government schools.
Community
Sponsorship
Sponsorship and support for the communities in which we operate.
Sponsorship and support for the communities in which we operate Sponsoring and supporting local organisations in the communities in which we operate is a vitally important way for Premier to make both a positive economic and social contribution to their sustainability. It also demonstrates our commitment to these communities and the role we can play in their ongoing and future success.
Community Service Leave
Premier recognises the importance of encouraging our employees to be active participants in the local communities in which they live and work. To facilitate this, all employees are entitled to take community service leave for certain activities.
103-107 Hyde Street, Footscray VIC 3011 1300 124 485 reception@premierfresh.com.au www.premierfresh.com.au ABN 87 004 843 556