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Keeping it local. How venues and restaurants can help Aussie farmers

Tony Panetta

The ICC Sydney has ordered nine tonnes of beetroot from across NSW.
The ICC Sydney has ordered nine tonnes of beetroot from across NSW.Shutterstock

COMMENT

In a recent article published on Good Food Matt Moran called on chefs and the rest of Australia to do more to help the farmers who work tirelessly to feed the nation. He made the point that our support for these men and women is among the lowest in the world.

As executive chef for the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney, one of Australia's largest urban-based venues, you may think that I have little to do with regional communities. However, we have pioneered the development of a local supply chain by connecting directly with more than 87 farmers and local producers plus a directory of local winemakers. We aim to nourish not only our delegates, visitors and team members, but also the state economy.

The International Convention Centre Sydney has worked with Alto Olives on an exclusive olive oil blend.
The International Convention Centre Sydney has worked with Alto Olives on an exclusive olive oil blend.Supplied
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For years before our December 2016 opening, ICC focused on working hand-in-hand with farming communities. Investing in direct relationships with producers doesn't come without challenges, but we believe it will make a serious difference to the future of our agricultural industry. It's something all venues should be doing.

Recent examples of ICC's farmer engagement include working with Alto Olives in the Southern Highlands to design an exclusive olive oil blend, ordering nine tonnes of beetroot from across NSW and sourcing 23,000 oysters from south coast producers.

We're striving to keep it local and measuring the flow-on effect through a partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Recent UTS research heralded our approach as a blueprint of innovation for the industry – and for venues across the nation – with the program conclusively driving positive economic, environmental and social impacts in farming communities.

Choosing local producers with quality produce reduces "food miles" and carbon footprints, which is a win for everyone.

Last year we delivered $8.3 million to the NSW economy through our food and wine purchases. This represents an investment of more than $4.3 million to those producers we work with directly.

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Farmers have reported an increased cash flow and this is supporting improvements to infrastructure and boosting production, providing financial security and driving employment opportunities, which can have big impacts for small communities.

Establishing plant-to-plate relationships with producers has also opened doors for us to harvest heritage varieties of fruit and vegetables, working side-by-side with growers throughout the process and supporting advanced planning.

Tony Panetta.
Tony Panetta.Peter Rae

Supporting our farmers means supporting our winemakers too, and 80 per cent of ICC Sydney's wine list is from NSW.

Sydney has outstanding wine on its doorstep yet there still isn't strong representation of local drops in our restaurants and venues. The hospitality industry has the power to change this.

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Additionally, choosing local producers with quality produce reduces food miles and carbon footprints, which is a win for everyone.

UTS research indicated that other restaurants and venues are incorporating a similar philosophy to their supply chain. It's a great start, but it's simply that – a start.

Matt Moran asks, can we as a society help more and help better? The answer is yes. For me, it's clear that there is a sustainable way forward, but it relies on us all getting behind our local farmers and making the right choices.

Tony Panetta is the executive chef at ICC Sydney.

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