ESG Credentials for Australian Pork

“This project reinforces the value of cross-sector collaboration in creating measurable change. By combining academic expertise with industry insights, we’ve built an evidence base that will guide the pork industry’s sustainable transition, and position Australian agriculture as a leader in ESG innovation.”

Dr Liz Jackson, Curtin University

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⬇️ Download project explainer (.pdf)

The Challenge

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics are becoming increasingly important in meeting the expectations of financiers, regulators and customers.

To maintain market access and potentially capture premium prices, pork producers need to be able to measure, manage, validate and communicate their ESG performance.

This can be hampered by difficulty in understanding which metrics to track, inefficient manual data collection, a lack of transparency and difficulties in communicating ESG progress.

The Solution

This project delivered a suite of ESG dashboards, each refined through multiple iterations and extensive stakeholder feedback, covering the pillars of Protein, Planet, and People.

The dashboards ingest and visualise up to three years of ESG data, with gap analyses performed and data collection plans in place for metrics without data. The system incorporates benchmarks from leading international and domestic peer producers where data is available publicly and integrates with internal data, allowing for robust tracking and actionable insights.

Dashboards have been tested and through multiple iterations across 20+ industry and project team stakeholders and is being prepared for internal use by Craig Mostyn Group (CMG). A sanitised industry dashboard was also developed to engage with others in the pork industry to provide transparent ESG reporting.

Additionally, a detailed report entitled ‘An Overview of Lowering Australian Pork’s Carbon Footprint’ was developed for industry. This expanded study delivers practical decision-making frameworks, feasibility assessments for carbon in-setting and nutrient management, and clear scenarios for both intensive and free-range pork production.

Results include a sector wide guide on key carbon concepts and the current ESG landscape, with overview of solutions that could be used for avoiding emissions.

Outcomes

• Three digital dashboards were delivered that measure, manage and allow better communication of ESG progress.
• Greater understanding on how Australian pork is performing against global ESG standards.
  
• A $6m boost to industry, through newly developed technology that helps producers better manage ESG
• Roadmap for differentiation of Australian pork industry in global markets via ESG measurement, management and communication. Potentially leading to new or greater market access.

Project Updates

September 2025 - Final Report: ESG Credentials for Australian Pork

September 2025 - Technical Report: An Overview of Lowering Australian Pork's Carbon Footprint

June 2025 - Technical Report: Technology Adoption in Pig Lairages