FOODmap:An analysis of the Australian food supply chain

A comparative analysis of Australian food distribution channels examines the different ways food reaches consumers; ranging from the well-known and highly visible, such as supermarkets, restaurants and coffee shops, to the less obvious, such as hospitals, workplace canteens and prisons.

The report includes ‘distribution maps’ for several recognised food groups within the Australian food industry, including beverages, grains, dairy, meat, horticulture, and snack-foods, to illustrate the structure of the distribution channels from production to end user.

Copies of FOODmap will be available for download shortly. 

Freshlogic Director Steve Spencer talks to ABC about FOODmap.

It assesses the capacity of different food industries to understand their market, develop innovative products, and diversify their product range. The work identifies the drivers of volume and value in each case, and the relative propensity of each category and channel to capture value.

Highlights of the FOODmap 2011 update:

Freshlogic made significant additions to the depth of analysis - first undertaken in FOODmap 2007 - and updated the FOODmap platform in 2011.

The key components of the update include:

• Thorough use of Freshlogic's THRUchain^TM analysis model to map the volumes of product flows through value chains
• Analysis of international trade data to identify its impact on current food situation and outlook
• Deeper insights into the dynamics between consumer behaviour and structure of retail food market
• Assessing relative food self-sufficiency and volatility risks for major food and beverage categories
• Identification and deeper insights on pressure points in supply chains
• Deep insights on the trends affecting the food processing sector, particularly fruit and vegetables, and foodservice sector of the industry.

The report is based on the whole-of-supply-chain-assessments and reflects an attempt to encompass general conditions experienced by the food categories relevant in each case.

A major aim of this study is to identify the scope for improved performance of the food industry in the face of changes in consumer preferences, pressures in the face of consumer preferences, and the strategic response of the major food sector participants. This provides reliable and current profiles of the dynamics and structure of the Australian food market and the supply chains that service consumers.