The Challenge

A robust food and wine sector is vital to South Australia’s prosperity. 

How can value chains help our local industries avoid extinction?

Professor Andrew Fearne was presented with a unique objective: to promote value chain thinking and behaviour in the wider community, and to provide direct benefit to partner organisations - individually and collectively - with appreciation of issues including environmental sustainability, economic viability, population health and social inclusivity.

The challenge lay in the fact that the principles and benefits of value chains are largely misunderstood and therefore underutilised in South Australia’s food and wine industries.

Andrew was charged with exploring the landscape of South Australian food and wine industries, and to identify ways in which producers could realise their potential and become more responsive to the economic and environmental forces that threaten their viability.

Andrew brought his considerable experience, expertise and communicative skills to this residency in exploring how South Australian producers are doing what they are doing, what they are doing well and how placing the consumer as the key link in the value chain can create continuing consumer demand.

Andrew travelled extensively throughout the State, meeting and consulting with local food and wine producers - from prawn fisherman in Port Lincoln to fruit and citrus producers in the Adelaide Hills and Riverland, to wine producers in the Barossa. He met with Regional Development Boards, Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), Universities, Producer boards including Meat and Livestock Australia, and Government departments.

Andrew provided advice and business case studies to the South Australian Food Centre, attended the Premier’s Food Council Forum, toured food markets, gave a number of public lectures and industry presentations and consulted with educators.

Andrew’s final report Sustainable Food and Wine Value Chains highlights five critical areas for attention to build innovation and resilience in our food and wine industries.

By integrating value chain thinking into every aspect of food and wine production through the development of leaders committed to value chains, integrating consumer insight and market intelligence, creating connected policy and incorporating value chain ideas into education curricula, the strategy aims to build a world leading, competitive industry.

Professor Fearne was in residence during 2008.