The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has welcomed the European Commission’s designation of Australia as low risk under the upcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Patrick Hutchinson, chair of the ABSF Steering Group, said the recognition reflects the industry’s strong sustainability efforts, particularly in vegetation management. “The ABSF will continue to objectively measure forests, woodlands, and grasslands managed within our industry,” he added.

Recent data from the Balance of Tree and Grass Cover mapping shows a net increase of nearly 750,000 hectares of woody vegetation on cattle grazing land in 2022. Queensland saw a net forest increase of over one million hectares, while the national area of cattle grazing land meeting Australian forest thresholds reached its highest level since 1995 at 69.95 million hectares.

Mr Hutchinson also acknowledged 927,000 hectares of forest loss on national cattle grazing land from 2021 to 2022, noting that causes remain unclear but may include fire encroachment from national parks and the removal of dense regrowth to support biodiversity.

Meat & Livestock Australia, on behalf of the ABSF, has partnered with CIBO Labs and research programs since 2019 to analyse satellite data for accurate tracking of vegetation changes across grazing land.