The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group, a consortium promoting exports for Australia's food and beverage industry, said on the 28th it will hold the 8th "Taste the Wonders of Australia" campaign in Seoul on the 25th–26th next month to expand food and beverage trade cooperation between Korea and Australia.
The event will include a business roundtable with government and industry officials, as well as food and wine seminars featuring renowned Korean chefs and experts, a media conference, and a gala dinner. The gala dinner will showcase a wide range of premium Australian ingredients, including meat, dairy, seafood, fresh produce, and wine.
Five organizations representing Australia's food and beverage industry will participate: Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Hort Innovation, Dairy Australia, Wine Australia, and Seafood Industry Australia.
Korea is one of Australia's key trading partners. Since the Korea–Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) took effect in 2014, bilateral trade has more than doubled in 10 years. In agriculture in particular, Korea ranks as Australia's third-largest export market, and agri-food exports are projected to reach about $4.2 billion (about 5.9 trillion won) in 2024–2025. Annual trade in Australian beef imported into Korea amounts to about $2.4 billion.
Travis Brown, Northeast Asia regional director at Meat & Livestock Australia, said, "Korea is a market with strong demand for Australian red meat across the board, from beef to lamb and goat," adding, "Our goal is to ensure Australian meat remains a consistently trusted choice for Korean consumers."
Paul Turale, general manager at Wine Australia, said, "Over the past year, 155 Australian wineries exported about $27.3 million worth of wine to Korea," and noted, "Through this campaign, we plan to reaffirm our partnership with Korea and highlight the competitiveness of Australian wine."
The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group launched the campaign in 2022 to expand overseas markets and has been active across Asia, including Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia.