The future has been mapped out for Australia’s wine industry, with a landmark strategy that will help Australian grape and wine businesses plan for a profitable and sustainable future over the next three decades.
Vision 2050 has been developed by Australian Grape & Wine, in collaboration with Wine Australia, and looks beyond the significant and immediate challenges of bushfires, smoke and COVID-19, and sets a number of ambitious targets for the industry to strive for by 2050.
The targets include increasing growth in value to become a $15bn industry, a nett-zero emissions target, and expanding on existing export successes to become the number one valued product in key markets.
“Vision 2050 comes at a critical time, as business are working to recover from a torrid period of drought, bushfires, smoke and COVID-19,” said Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive of Australian Grape & Wine.
“Our targets for 2050 are ambitious, but Vision 2050 provides the road map to achieve them, through innovation, hard work and a great product. We can grow value at all price points across the value chain and drive prosperity in our sector and across regional Australia.”
Vision 2050 has strong bipartisan political support with both Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, the Hon. David Littleproud MP, and the Shadow Minister for Agriculture the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, backing the strategy.
“It is important to have a strategic vision to take you forward in these tough times and the better times – and they will come. You have to believe in that because you have to believe in your product. We know Australia makes great wine, and we should be proud of the industry for creating this very clear roadmap for the future,” said Minister Littleproud.
Shadow Minister Fitzgibbon added: “We all know that Australia makes the best wines in the world. But we are not without competition or challenges. We have to be on the front foot. You can’t meet all of your aspirations, no matter how good your reputation is, if you don’t have a plan or a roadmap.
“I congratulate Australian Grape & Wine on this document – it is a sound document, it makes sense and it sets the industry up well for the future.”
The Australian grape and wine sector Vision 2050 lays out the steps the industry needs to take to craft a prosperous and self-reliant sector into the future.
In doing so, it provides Australian wine’s responses to growing international concerns around climate change, sustainable development and international stability, while providing a platform for sustainable profitability.
Battaglene said: “The next step is to begin the work to make this strategic vision reality, to overcome the challenges we face and capture the opportunities ahead of us, to ensure a bright and exciting future for Australia’s grape and wine businesses, and also for the regional communities they support.”
A copy of Vision 2050 can be found on the Australian Grape & Wine website.
You can also see the launch video here: