Borderless Cattle Australia has today (Thursday) announced its intention to give Australian cattle producers direct access to Chinese restaurants and consumers as they build a marketplace to drive a new beef sharing economy within China.
By becoming a member in Borderless Cattle, Chinese consumers and restaurants will be able to own livestock on an Australian cattle station, monitor its health status and growth, and trace its movement until the meat is delivered in China, using a suite of technologies including drones, IoT (Internet of Things), and blockchain.
Additionally, through a smart TV platform called Foodsmart.life, members can access recipes, conduct interactive cooking workshops with celebrity chefs from around the world and connect with nutritionists and health advisors, all from the comfort of their own home.
All sessions will be supported by a multi-lingual food concierge.
Each of the livestock owned by a member will be represented by several hundred boxes of ‘virtual beef’.
A member can use the Foodsmart.life platform as a business tool to share or sell portions on to other consumers six to nine months prior to slaughter.
Founder and executive chairman of parent company Borderless Healthcare Group, Dr Wei Siang Yu, said the aim was to create an engaging platform for restaurants and consumers to grow and develop a beef sharing marketplace.
“Members can invite friends over to their homes to take part in workshops and even resell part of their beef, driving social networks and a small business economy, and creating an unprecedented opportunity for Australian cattle producers,” Dr Yu said.
“Certain lifestyle stages such as pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, parenthood, and chronic disease are driving a new protein boom in China, along with a desire for healthier and better-quality food beyond the typical supermarket experience. Australia’s stringent standards for cattle production align with this growing need.”
The program will begin in July 2018 with deliveries available to more than 300 cities across China.
Initially, Borderless Cattle will accept orders from restaurants, which will be required to order a minimum of five cattle. Borderless Cattle anticipates having 500 restaurants or corporate members in its first year.
The program will be extended to individual members at a later date.
Ben van Delden, Partner and Head of Agtech at KPMG and Food Agility CRC Director, said new digitised supply chains were allowing producers to authenticate provenance, stewardship and quality from the farm right through to the consumer’s table.
“Disruptive models, such as what Borderless Cattle are creating, present new funding solutions for premium quality livestock destined for discerning Chinese consumers,” he said.
Bringing the consumer transaction forward to the first phase of the supply chain, and using agtech to validate trust, elevates the relationship end consumers have with their protein source.
“Bringing the consumer transaction forward to the first phase of the supply chain, and using agtech to validate trust, elevates the relationship end consumers have with their protein source.
“It also addresses a major liquidity challenge for Australian beef producers as the consumer funds the grower from the beginning of the beef production cycle.”
