Environmental Protection Regulation 2008), organic wastes suitable for open windrow composting may include a substance used for manufacturing fertiliser for
agricultural, horticultural or garden use, animal manure, biosolids, cardboard
and paper waste, fish processing waste, food and food processing waste, plant
material, poultry processing waste and waste generated from an abattoir. Organic
wastes not suitable for composting include organic chemicals (examples of organic
chemicals are chlorinated hydrocarbons, lubricating greases, pesticides and tars),
clinical or related waste, contaminated soil and plastics that are not compostable
(except limited proportions of plastic which may be found in waste such as timber
waste).
8.10 Food Waste
As the global population rises towards the predicted 9.8 million by 2050 (United
Nations 2019), there are increasing demands on, and opportunities for, Queensland’s
agricultural sector. An increasing global population is driving unprecedented
demand for food, fibre and other higher-value products including bioproducts
(including biofuels and biochemicals). Queensland is uniquely located in its proximity to Asian markets and is developing new transport and logistic infrastructure to
expedite fresh product delivery to growth, often high-end markets. Whilst it is
unrealistic for Australia (let alone Queensland) to be the ‘food bowl of Asia’,
Australian food exports do provide sufficient calorific intake for 61,536,975 people,
based on current average daily calorific intake of people in Asia (Australian Farm
Institute 2017). Whilst Australia is an exporter of agricultural commodities (including beef cattle, sugar, cotton and pulses), many of these markets have been
established on premium ‘Australian-branded’ produce for quality assurance and
traceability (Woodhead et al. 2015), particularly high value-added protein foods,
fresh fruit, vegetables and milk, through increasingly niche products, such as guinea
fowl. Food waste, including food waste generated on-farm, is a rising social concern
and is attracting a mix of regulation and aspirational goal setting globally. On 6 July
2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the global indicator
framework.
There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all with direct relationships
to agriculture but most poignantly (United Nations 2018):
• Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture – world hunger is increasing. Conflict, drought and disasters linked to climate change are among the key factors causing this reversal in
progress.
• Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns – for example,
the per capita ‘material footprint’ of developing countries grew from 5 metric
tonnes in 2000 to 9 metric tonnes in 2017, representing a significant improvement
in the material standard of living.
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G. Davis
agricultural, horticultural or garden use, animal manure, biosolids, cardboard
and paper waste, fish processing waste, food and food processing waste, plant
material, poultry processing waste and waste generated from an abattoir. Organic
wastes not suitable for composting include organic chemicals (examples of organic
chemicals are chlorinated hydrocarbons, lubricating greases, pesticides and tars),
clinical or related waste, contaminated soil and plastics that are not compostable
(except limited proportions of plastic which may be found in waste such as timber
waste).
8.10 Food Waste
As the global population rises towards the predicted 9.8 million by 2050 (United
Nations 2019), there are increasing demands on, and opportunities for, Queensland’s
agricultural sector. An increasing global population is driving unprecedented
demand for food, fibre and other higher-value products including bioproducts
(including biofuels and biochemicals). Queensland is uniquely located in its proximity to Asian markets and is developing new transport and logistic infrastructure to
expedite fresh product delivery to growth, often high-end markets. Whilst it is
unrealistic for Australia (let alone Queensland) to be the ‘food bowl of Asia’,
Australian food exports do provide sufficient calorific intake for 61,536,975 people,
based on current average daily calorific intake of people in Asia (Australian Farm
Institute 2017). Whilst Australia is an exporter of agricultural commodities (including beef cattle, sugar, cotton and pulses), many of these markets have been
established on premium ‘Australian-branded’ produce for quality assurance and
traceability (Woodhead et al. 2015), particularly high value-added protein foods,
fresh fruit, vegetables and milk, through increasingly niche products, such as guinea
fowl. Food waste, including food waste generated on-farm, is a rising social concern
and is attracting a mix of regulation and aspirational goal setting globally. On 6 July
2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the global indicator
framework.
There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all with direct relationships
to agriculture but most poignantly (United Nations 2018):
• Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture – world hunger is increasing. Conflict, drought and disasters linked to climate change are among the key factors causing this reversal in
progress.
• Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns – for example,
the per capita ‘material footprint’ of developing countries grew from 5 metric
tonnes in 2000 to 9 metric tonnes in 2017, representing a significant improvement
in the material standard of living.
134
G. Davis