Appointments herald new era for the SSF for SSF

Manager, Sheep Sustainability Framework, Courtney Nelson

The Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF) is happy to report a successful recruitment campaign in a lead role that will help drive the development of the framework and deliver on its mission of continuous improvement.

Courtney Nelson has been appointed Manager, Sheep Sustainability Framework, at Meat & Livestock Australia. Meanwhile, Emma Gittoes Bunting, Global Sustainability Manager at Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), takes over SSF responsibilities from Bridget Peachey.

The SSF is owned, developed and led by industry through the peak national policy and bodies Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) and WoolProducers Australia (WPA), with resources, including the secretariat, provided by MLA and AWI.

Ms Nelson brings a combination of experience and expertise. In addition to being a trained animal bioscientist, completing an honours degree at the University of Sydney, she recently added a Masters of Science Ccmmunication from Australian National University. She also joins the SSF following six years at LiveCorp working in research communications.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be coming into the framework, two years into its life cycle and at a point where it’s established and gaining momentum,” Ms Nelson said.

“The framework is now going through a second materiality study so the discussion around sustainability is shifting.

“Australia is known for the quality of its sheep and wool products so working in sustainability is a natural fit to ensuring its longevity.

“Also, we’re aiming to nail down the final metrics of the SSF, so moving it into its next stage of development is going to be exciting.”

Emma Gittoes Bunting comes to the SSF with seven years’ experience at AWI, including the past four in London as Sustainability Manager where she supported a range of partnerships and initiatives with a focus on sustainability and fibre advocacy in areas of business development, communications and traceability, showcasing Merino wool's potential as a science-backed, natural and sustainable solution in the fashion and performance markets.

Global Sustainability Manager, Australian Wool Innovation, Emma Gittoes Bunting

“We have seen a lot more brands wanting to have discussions about sustainability – not just in terms of animal welfare, but environmental and social impact as well,” Ms Gittoes Bunting said.

Ms Gittoes Bunting said from her experience in international markets, the development of the SSF showed the Australian sheep and wool industry was leading the world.

“As they say, data is king, and we are ahead of the curve internationally,” she said.

“I don’t know any other industry globally that’s collecting this data and I don’t think we’ve tapped into the full potential of it yet, but it is an amazing starting point.”