From head stockman in the Top End, through to agribusiness economist, Joel Bentley has worn a number of hats in his career in the cattle industry.
Now he’s channelling his skills and experience into an innovative new “big picture” role with Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef company, Australian Country Choice (ACC), thanks to a ground-breaking new program backed by Meat & Livestock Australia’s Donor Company (MDC).
Since April this year, Mr Bentley has been an agribusiness innovation officer with ACC, based at the company’s Brindley Park feedlot near Roma.
He is one of 15 young professionals involved in a two-year Food Value Chain Innovators: Emerging Leaders Program, which is being funded by agri-food businesses in partnerships via MDC, and the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, as part of the Rural Research and Development for Profit Program.
The program is designed to drive value chain innovation and growth, and bring fresh insights into the red meat value chain, by placing young professionals with diverse skill sets with agri-food companies.
Mr Bentley said he’s relishing his role, which involves helping ACC identify and implement innovation in operational and financial efficiencies.
“ACC is a paddock-to-plate company, with feedlots at Roma, Cecil Plains and the Brisbane Valley, as well as a number of cattle breeding and backgrounding properties throughout Queensland, and our processing plant in Brisbane,” Mr Bentley said.
“At the moment, I’m working on ACC’s data information systems and how we can better capture and utilise data throughout the supply chain to develop intuitive and real time reporting systems to lead to more sustainable and profitable decisions.
“That has involved going around all of our properties and feedlots and investigating how our current systems are meeting our needs.
“I’m working with another innovation officer who is based at Cannon Hill and works with the processing arm of the business, so we’re completely across the supply chain, working with everyone, collecting ideas and adding to ACC’s value proposition.
“The role is evolving as we discover new opportunities to align our value chain with developing R&D and our customers’ expectations.”
Mr Bentley said participating in the Food Value Chain Innovators: Emerging Leaders Program was a valuable experience.
“The program enables the red meat industry to connect with horticulture, dairy and fisheries to share ideas about innovation and opportunities across the value chain. I think it will add a lot of value to the industry,” Mr Bentley said.
“I’m passionate about the beef industry and believe it definitely needs to be on the front foot and looking at how we can do things better.
“My background is very much hands-on and production-based, and I think that helps in my role with ACC because I can relate to challenges faced by property managers quite easily.
“But the program provides a completely different perspective to looking at the value chain.”
Mr Bentley grew up on a sheep and cattle property at Eulo in South West Queensland and worked as a jackaroo and later head stockman for Consolidated Pastoral Company in the Northern Territory.
“I never thought in a million years I’d ever go to university, but after being a head stockman I went to the University of New England and did a Bachelor of Agribusiness majoring in Rural Science,” Mr Bentley said.
He went on to work as an agribusiness analyst with National Australia Bank and agricultural economist with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, before taking up the role with ACC.
“My role with ACC is a good challenge.
“You have to sit back and examine what we’re currently doing and assess if it’s the best fit.
“Then if it isn’t, think about the process of implementing change going forward – what are the ‘nice to knows’ but more importantly what ‘need to knows’ will sustainably optimise current operations.”
For more information about the Food Value Chain Innovators: Emerging Leaders Program contact insights2innovation@mla.com.au