Program
Conference Topics
- Profiling the Australian nut industry
- Nuts are a major horticulture industry in Australia
- Nuts are a major export industry with future strong export growth predicted
- Understanding the health aspects of nuts
- Marketing nuts in Australia to the Australian Consumer
- Australians are eating more nuts, driving domestic demand for
- Food industry has recognised nuts are increasing in sales
The Australian Nut Industry Council is pleased to announce the following speakers and preliminary program for its 2009 Conference 'Growing for Success'.
SESSION ONE - Production, both local and global
Welcome and Introduction: Mr Brenton Woolston - ANIC Chairman
Keynote Address: Mr Jack Mariani - International Nut Council
- Role and work of the INC
- Growth of US and global production and future prospects
- A brief history of Mariani Nut Company
Australian Macadamias: Jolyon Burnett
- Production and plantings
- Strategic issues affecting the industry
Australian Almonds: Ms Julie Haslett
- Production and plantings
- Strategic issues affecting the industry
"Timbercorp Almonds: Peeling Back the Onion": Mr John Bird
- Impacts of the investment climate on the industry now and into the future
SESSION TWO - Trade and its importance to the Australian Industry
Turkey: Mr Ulash Turkhan
- An overview of the growing nut market and industry in Turkey
Monaco INC Congress: Mr Michael Waring - MWT Foods
- Report from an Australian perspective
Australian Nut Exports: Mr Chris Joyce - ANIC Board Member & Horticultural Market Access Committee
- The future and the implications for the domestic market
- Role of ANIC in opening new markets
SESSION THREE - Marketing challenges and opportunities
Marketing nuts in the snack category: Ms Carolyn Lange - PepsiCo
- Outlining the competitive environment in snack
- Factors influencing the use of nuts in snack products
- The role of nuts now and into the future
Nuts in bakery product manufacturing: Chris Divine - Priestley's
- Outlining the competitive environment in bakery manufacturing and foodservice
- Factors influencing the use of nuts in bakery products
- The role of nuts now and into the future
SESSION FOUR - Health and wellness - latest research and key messages
Updating nut health research: Lisa Yates - Program Manager & Dietitian, Nuts for Life
- New research findings and current work in progress
- What questions have been answered and what are the implications for the nut industry?
- What gaps exist in our knowledge and what should we expect in the future?
Summarising the key nut health benefits: Professor Linda Tapsell - University of Wollongong - National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods
- The compelling stories for the Australian-grown nuts
Conference Dinner
The Australian Nut Industry Council welcomes all delegates to attend a night of fine food and entertainment to be held at the Langham Hotel, Melbourne, following the days proceedings.
Entertainment:
Mr John Bird
John has 22 years experience in the almond industry covering orchard development, almond growing, processing, marketing and international trade. He previously spent 10 years as Managing Director of Jorgenson Waring Foods who operated in the domestic and international nut markets with annual sales in excess of $100 million.
Select Harvests is a publicly listed agri-food business. Under John's management the company has developed over 36,000 acres of almond orchards and now manages over 39,000 acres of orchards, and through a series of acquisitions established a processing and marketing business with sales of
$120 million per annum distributing a range of edible nuts and dried fruits to the retail and industrial sectors of Australia.
Ms Julie Haslett
Julie Haslett is Chief Executive Officer of the Almond Board of Australia and a Director of the Australian Nut Industry Council. Julie was appointed in the role of CEO in March 2007, following employment with the Almond Board since 2002, previously holding the roles of Executive Officer and
Admin/Finance Manager.
Mr Chris Joyce
Chris Joyce has been involved in the nut industry since the 1970s as an import distributor; grower of pistachios; and packer of almonds and pistachios. He was a Director of Jorgenson Waring Foods for over 20 years. He is a former Secretary of the National Peanut Council and former President
of the Australian Nut Industry Council. He is currently a Director of ANIC where his focus is on ensuring that the expanding Australian nut industries maximise their opportunities through
better trade access to export markets.
Ms Carolyn Lange
Carolyn has been involved in food & beverage marketing in some of Australia's largest FMCG and Health & Wellness companies since 2001. She started her marketing career at Nestle working as a Coffee Brand Manager before moving on to head up the New Product Division of Golden Door Health
Retreats and Spas. Carolyn joined PepsiCo Australia 3 years ago in the Beverage business marketing Gatorade Sports Drinks.
She is currently Marketing Manager - Health & Wellness Innovation for PepsiCo Australia where her focus is predominantly on expanding savoury snacks beyond the current Salty Snack portfolio.
Mr Jack Mariani
Mr Jack Mariani graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a major in Ag-business. Since graduation he has served on the Californian Walnut Board for over 30 years, and currently holds the position of Market Development Committee Chairman.
Jack has also served on the board of directors of the American Council for Food Safety and Quality since 1980, previously holding the role of Chairman. He has also served as a board member of the Almond Board of California, and currently holds the position of Chairman of the INC.
Professor Linda Tapsell
Linda Tapsell is Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Wollongong, and Director of its Smart Foods Centre. She leads research on the role of food in the prevention and management of lifestyle related disease such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. She has published substantially in the nutrition field, is the Editor of the journal Nutrition and Dietetics and on the editorial board of Nutrition Today, and Food and Nutrition Research. She is a fellow of the Dieticians Association of Australia and was recently appointed Director Nutrition Research in the newly formed Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), at the University of Wollongong.
Mr Ulash Turkhan
Ulash Turkhan was born in Gaziantep, Turkey where his family has a rich history in the agriculture business. Mr. Turkhan attained his B.S. in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis. Upon his graduation Mr. Turkhan decided to expand the family business by establishing Turkhan
Foods. Mr. Turkhan has overcome many obstacles of the import/export business including the infiltration of the tight network of growers, brokers and the like, gaining their support in the process. He has managed to grow a business in a down turned economy and increase his sales significantly each year. In 2008, Turkhan Foods has exported more than 4,000 MT of nuts and dried fruits to Turkey.
Mr Michael Waring
Michael Waring is Managing Director of Michael Waring Trading P/L (MWT Foods Australia), Chairman of MWT Foods USA LLC, and Managing Director of Tinana Creek Plantations (Macadamia Plantations).
Domiciled in the Group's Melbourne offices, Michael is also CEO of the Waring Group of companies, comprising the above businesses, also Tinana Creek Plantations, and IT infrastructure and software company "Impower". The Waring family is also investors in various tree nut production facilities in
Vietnam.
Michael is a member of the Board of Directors of The International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation Council (INC), and also Ambassador to Australia for that foundation. Michael is also a founding Management Committee member of Nuts for Life, Australia and currently serving on the Australian Macadamia Society marketing and promotions sub-committee for USA.
Michael works with his father John Waring (who has been involved in the industry since 1965 and is founder of Waring Group and also Jorgenson Waring Foods) and with his brothers Andrew Waring (co-founder MWT Foods) and Christopher Waring.
Mr Brenton Woolston
Brenton Woolston is General Manager of Almondco Australia and Chairman of The Almond Board of Australia (ABA). Mr Woolston also holds the position of president of the Australian Nut Industry Council (ANIC).
Brenton was appointed to Almondco as marketing manager in 2001 and was promoted to group general manager just over a year later. He has managed a period of significant growth and success in Almondco's long history and is a strong advocate for promoting Australian almonds as a premium product on the world market.
Lisa Yates
Lisa Yates graduated with a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sydney 14 years ago. Since that time Lisa has had a varied career from managing her own part time private practice for the last 14 years to working in public relations for 9 years. Past clients include Australian Sugar
Industry, MasterFoods Australia New Zealand and PepsiCo/Gatorade. Lisa is currently the Program Manager and Dietitian for the Australian Tree Nut Industry's health promotion program - Nuts for Life.
Mr Glen Cardwell
Glenn is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with 30 years in clinical and public health nutrition. He currently runs his own nutrition consultancy company, Nutrition Impact Pty Ltd, working with fresh produce.
Glenn is an award winning professional speaker and has spoken on nutrition throughout Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Spain, India, South Africa and Britain. He has written four books.
Becoming a quizmaster in recent years, he has led fun and interactive quizzes for Dietitians, General Practice Networks, medical researchers and now for the nut industry. Come and enjoy a quiz that will get you thinking, laughing and even singing.