WITH workforce challenges and workplace relations at the forefront of the horticulture industry's mind, there's never been a better reason to register to attend the Fair Farms National Conference and Awards 2022.
The Fair Farms National Conference and Awards will take place on October 14 at Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour, NSW.
The conference will focus on ethical sourcing and modern-day slavery issues, horticulture workplace relations and industry challenges, along with celebrating the inaugural 2022 Fair Farms Farmer of the Year.
The Fair Farms Conference could not have come at a better time, to showcase the robust framework of the Fair Farms Program which assists growers in understanding their obligations as an employer and ensuring that their internal systems are compliant with the Fair Work Ombudsman's often complex requirements.
The topics at the conference are closely aligned with the Fair Work Ombudsman's priorities to boost compliance among agriculture sector employers and to shed more light on non-compliance in workplace relations, the Fair Work Ombudsman's executive director of enforcement, Steve Ronson, will be speaking at the conference.
Other presentations will cover:
- piece-rate changes;
- labour access and retention;
- recent legislative changes;
- environmental, social and governance outlook for horticulture;
- case studies on successful practices;
- issues and solutions for ethical sourcing in horticulture and the Modern Slavery Act.
Presentations will also be made by Berries Australia, VEG Education, as well as a keynote presentation from Olympic gold medalist Steven Bradbury.
Ausveg to support Fair Farms Conference
NATIONAL industry representative body for vegetable and potato growers, Ausveg, recently joined the conference as a gold sponsor.
Ausveg chief executive officer Michael Coote said he welcomes the initiative Fair Farms is taking to bring the industry together at Coffs Harbour to discuss all things workplace relations and horticulture.
"As the representative body for Australia's vegetable and potato growers, we are proud to support the Fair Farms Conference because the program itself is an industry led solution, created by Australian growers to support Australian growers," Mr Coote said.
"Fair Farms gives growers the tools and training they need to succeed, and this conference will showcase the work the program has accomplished in this space and the way industry together can take it further."
Fair Farms national program manager Sachin Ayachit said he welcomes the partnership, which reflects widespread grassroots support across the horticulture industry to enhance the transparency of workplace practices.
"We look forward to creating a stellar conference with Ausveg's support," Mr Ayachit said.
"To have Ausveg on board as an official sponsor for the conference only serves to exemplify how important a discussion around horticulture workplace relations is.
"An overarching goal of Fair Farms is to improve workplace practices in Australian horticulture, which is something Ausveg has been supportive of from the very beginning of the program."
13,000 workers now covered under Fair Farms
THE conference comes as Fair Farms reaches a milestone - more than 13,000 workers are now covered under the program.
Growcom chair Belinda Frentz said the federal government's funding for the program is helping to raise awareness, provide training, one-on-one support and a pathway to a third-party audit and subsequent certification.
"I'm proud of the progress the program has made so far and to see that more and more workers are covered under the program is encouraging," Ms Frentz said.
"Thank you to the new federal government for the continued support of this program and in particular the minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, Murray Watt.
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"I met with minister Watt at Hort Connections 2022 where we discussed the upcoming Fair Farms National Conference, and I - along with industry - look forward to hosting him on the day to celebrate what's great about Fair Farms.
"For the program to succeed, it's a collaborative effort - yes, it's industry-led for growers - and to have the support of the federal government and minister Watt makes a world of difference."
Fair Farms was developed by industry for industry to help address ethical labour issues proactively, supporting all members of the Australian horticulture supply chain with the tools, information and training to be a compliant and ethical employer.
The Fair Farms National Conference and Awards will take place on Friday, October 14 at the Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour.
To register for the Conference, visit: https://fairfarms.com.au/fair-farms-conference/
For more details on how your organisation can become a sponsor, visit https://fairfarms.com.au/sponsorship-enquiries/
- Copy supplied by Growcom.
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