Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) has released an interactive eCatalogue of Australian food and beverage suppliers and overseas buyers.
The tool is aimed at giving Australian food and beverage producers greater access to overseas buyers and more opportunity to expand their supply chains beyond Australian shores.
It was developed in response to frustration from both Australian producers and international buyers with the industry’s past methods of fostering valuable international relationships.
With more than 350 Australian suppliers already on board, including major brands such as Arnott’s, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks and Weis, FIAL is calling on Australian food and beverage producers interested in export opportunities to register.
The eCatalogue will give suppliers access to valuable information on why their business may or may not appeal to overseas buyers through its unique rating system, which allows buyers to rate suppliers on their unique selling proposition, product range and company website.
FIAL general manager market development, Najib Lawand says the benefits of buyer feedback to Australian businesses are invaluable and could help remove the barriers many Australian suppliers face when initiating their export business.
“Buyer feedback helps our producers improve their ability to sell products in international markets, and understand exactly what buyers, particularly in key Australian export markets throughout Asia and the Middle East, are looking for,” Lawand said.
“Often our suppliers don’t understand why overseas buyers aren’t interested in working with them, and it could often be something as simple as improving their website that helps change that.
“Through the eCatalogue, FIAL wants to provide the mechanism that will help Australia’s suppliers grow their markets internationally, and also help Australia appear more attractive to overseas buyers.
“Increasing interest in our food and beverage industry from high-end Asian and Middle Eastern supermarket buyers means now is the time to make the connecting process between them and our suppliers as seamless as possible.”
The eCatalogue currently covers 24 industry categories ranging from dairy, meat and livestock, to fruit and vegetables, chocolate and confectionary, nuts and seeds, even cat and dog food.
With support from Austrade and various state government agencies, Lawand says FIAL plans to expand the eCatalogue’s features to include online training resources and tutorials that will help suppliers identify and sell their unique offer, prepare winning presentations for export buyers, demystify free trade agreements and create websites that will generate buyer interest. The eCatalogue will also be optimised for mobile devices for easy access while travelling, include translation services for Chinese, Japanese and Korean buyers, and offer detailed reporting on buyer behaviour.
“We hope to give our suppliers as much information as possible to assist them in growing their business while making Australia as attractive as possible for overseas buyers in the food and beverage industry. The eCatalogue is an important step forward for the industry,” he said.
For more information or to register with FIAL’s eCatalogue, click here.