Premium Western Australian produce and beverages will be on the menu in Singapore next month as part of the annual Plating Up WA campaign.

Plating Up WA is an initiative of the State Government's Buy West Eat Best program and runs for the month of June at venues throughout Western Australia, showcasing dishes that feature WA's best winter produce paired with local beer, wine or spirits.

For the first time this year, the campaign has been extended internationally into Singapore thanks to a collaboration between Buy West Eat Best, Invest and Trade WA via the Government of WA Singapore Office, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Plating Up WA - Singapore Edition provides a unique opportunity to connect Singaporean consumers with WA through their palate, as well as explore WA tourism, agrifood tourism and market opportunities. More...  Source: WA Minister for Agriculture and Food / WA Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade and Tourism | Photo: Plating Up WA [Hokkaido Scallops à la Plancha served with Jérusalem Artichokes and WA Manjimup Black Truffles.]

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia has launched its impact report, outlining the industry’s contribution to improved environmental and social management and performance across the key themes of water, energy, biodiversity, waste, and business. This initiative enables collaboration between grape growers and winemakers to create beneficial partnerships. 

A new category for environmental sustainability and social responsibility was included in the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's most recent Agrifood and Beverage Voucher Program, to allow food and beverage manufacturers to engage professional services to grow their businesses.

Five of the 30 successful recipients in this round applied under the newly created environmental sustainability and social responsibility category. All five are wineries with aims to achieve certification from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.

Wine growers and producers must be members of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia before applying to be certified to the Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice. Certification provides acknowledgment for environmental practices according to recognised international standards, along with a competitive market advantage and improved social licence to operate. More... Source and Photo: Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) is heading to Food and Hotel Asia (FHA), Food and Beverage 2022 in Singapore from 5 to 8 September 2022.

Australian food and beverage businesses can join FIAL on their Australian stand to showcase products to buyers from Asia and across the globe.  These businesses must be registered to FIAL's Australian Food and Beverage Catalogue to sign-up for this event.

FHA Food and Beverage in Singapore is the largest international food and beverage trade show in Asia. In 2018 there were 1,750 exhibiting companies, 72 international group pavilions, 55,433 trade visitors and 164 Australian exhibitors.

Registrations close 1 June 2022.  There are two ticket options for attending the event. The first is a sampling pod ($4,950), where companies can exhibit food or beverage products to qualified buyers including distributors, importers, manufacturers and retailers. The second option is a market insights and retail tour ($495), where companies can gain insights into developments and future trends in the food and beverage industry. More... Source: FIAL | Image: FHA

The National Fisheries Plan 2022-2030, released in April 2022, has been designed to drive the sustainable growth of Australia’s fishing, aquaculture and seafood community. The plan focuses on key areas such as resource sharing and the security of access, workforce retention and training, sustainability and international engagement.

The plan sets out initiatives and targets such as streamlining governance to reduce red tape and boost innovation. By 2030, the target is to harmonise fisheries, aquaculture and seafood management across Australia’s jurisdictions and sectors, which would provide an opportunity to simplify regulation and ensure efficient management outcomes.

The plan targets a 2.5% increase in seafood export value by 2030. It plans to achieve this by enhancing traceability systems, to respond to international demand for more detailed product information. Austrade and the seafood industry have developed a promotion schedule for Australian seafood exports, with a focus on diversifying into markets such as Europe and the Middle East. More... Source and Photo: DAWE

The Horizons – International Engagement Leadership Program is delivered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with the Regional Australia Institute.

Horizons is designed to equip economic development officers with a better understanding of how to help local business harness trade and investment opportunities as part of their post-COVID 19 recovery strategy for their regions.

This free program is held twice a year and consists of six interactive online sessions facilitated by a range of industry and government trade experts. Participants also have access to mentoring and networking opportunities that are tailored to each participant’s goals.

Program participants automatically become members of the exclusive Horizons alumni, connecting them to a vast network of national and international organisations.

Are you ready to expand your horizons? Apply here. Applications close 22 July 2022. Source and Image: DFAT

Economic growth in Asia and the Pacific is poised to slow more than previously estimated this year amid headwinds from the war in Ukraine, a resurgent pandemic, and tightening global financial conditions.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says regional gross domestic product will expand by 4.9%, 0.5% less than the IMF forecast in January and slower than last year’s 6.5% growth rate, according to latest projections. The IMF also estimates inflation will rise faster in many countries, though from relatively low levels.

Slower growth and rising prices, coupled with the challenges of war, infection and tightening financial conditions, will exacerbate the difficult policy trade-off between supporting recovery and containing inflation and debt.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will pose the biggest challenge for economic growth, with the region’s advanced economies hurt most by reduced demand from Europe and emerging markets feeling the effects of higher global commodity prices, according to IMF's latest projections. More... Source and Graphic: IMF