“Africa remains one of the last major growth frontiers in the global economy”

Darren Watson, Regional Manager – Europe, Middle East & Africa, International Markets, Meat & Livestock Australia

As Australia seeks to diversify its export markets due to ongoing disruptions in the Middle East, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has turned its attention to Mauritius, using the Black Box Culinary Competition and a masterclass led by Chef Tariq Ibrahim to promote Australian beef and lamb. In this interview with Bizweek, Darren Watson, Regional Manager, Europe, Middle East & Africa, International Markets, explains why Mauritius matters, how consumer demand is reshaping the global meat industry, and why quality, traceability and education remain central to Australia’s red meat strategy. 

What inspired Australia’s involvement in the Black Box Culinary Competition, and what are its main objectives?

I think the inspiration came from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), which is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and covers East Africa, with Mauritius forming part of that remit. 

Given what is happening around the world at the moment, particularly the focus on the Middle East and the war, we are looking for diversification opportunities for Australian businesses. Mauritius already has an affinity with Australian premium products, whether dairy products or red meat, including beef and lamb.

What Austrade wanted to do here was promote Australian food produce. At Meat & Livestock Australia, through our Aussie Beef & Lamb brand, we supported this initiative through our Aussie Meat Academy, which is an education platform.

 

“Today, Australia exports close to 80 per cent of all the red meat it produces.”

 

For this event, we brought in Chef Tariq Ibrahim, the first Arab Certified Master Chef and our Corporate Master Chef for Meat & Livestock Australia. What he is doing today is educating 60 students on the breakdown of an Australian lamb carcass, from frozen product through to the finished cooked dish. He is demonstrating how to maximise the margin potential of a carcass while minimising waste.

Through that educational process, we tell the story of our animal welfare standards and sustainability practices, and how these ultimately influence the eating quality of the final product. At the end of the day, regardless of the dish being prepared, eating quality is what matters most.

This event aligns closely with our international strategy to strengthen awareness of, and demand for, Australian beef and lamb. We do this through two key initiatives: the Aussie Meat Academy and our Chef Ambassador programmes.

We also have our Aussie Beef Mates programme and our Lambassador programme. These initiatives bring together chefs who share the same values and respect for produce that Australia associates with its red meat industry.

Essentially, these chefs become advocates for Australian beef and lamb on the global stage, promoting the consistency, versatility, premium quality and reliability of our products.

There is obviously a commercial dimension to this initiative, but there is also a broader diplomatic and cultural aspect. How does Mauritius fit into that larger picture?

Mauritius may be a small country, but it is an influential one within Africa, particularly within the East African region. While Australia may not initially achieve the same commercial outcomes here as it would in markets such as Greater China, Japan, Korea or the UAE, Mauritius serves as an important gateway into broader African opportunities.

The education levels, culinary awareness, aspiration and enthusiasm that we see among students here are impressive. From an industry perspective, it is inspiring because these students genuinely want to learn.

You can see it in their faces, hear it in their questions and observe it in their engagement. The masterclass has been running for two hours and they remain fully involved. For Aussie Beef & Lamb, this is an important platform for promoting our message.

 

“Traceability is where Australia differentiates itself.” 

 

We view every culinary student and every hospitality professional we engage with as a potential ambassador for Australian red meat. Importantly, we are not forcing a message upon anyone. Through our education programmes, participants experience the product for themselves.

They see it, taste it and learn about it first-hand. When someone leaves saying that they were trained by Meat & Livestock Australia, Aussie Beef & Lamb and one of our master chefs or ambassadors, that experience remains with them.

We also recognise that many culinary students will not remain in Mauritius throughout their careers. Some will move abroad, creating further opportunities because they take that knowledge and experience with them.

If they eventually become sous chefs, executive chefs or restaurant owners, who are they likely to contact first? Usually, it is the organisation that treated them with respect, communicated clearly and provided meaningful support.

That connection is important. Cooking is social. It is tribal. Relationships matter.

Another important aspect is diversity. Chef Tariq Ibrahim is Egyptian. I am Australian. Mauritius itself is incredibly diverse, with Indo-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian and Muslim communities, among others.

All of these cultures consume red meat, but often in different ways. Education allows us to demonstrate how Australian beef and lamb can be incorporated into culturally significant dishes and festive traditions. That is where Australia can add value.

Would it be fair to say that Aussie Beef & Lamb is for everyone, including gastronomy professionals?

Absolutely. It is for everyone, from culinary students and Michelin-starred chefs to quick-service restaurants and family homes. Even today, there are members of the public attending who are not culinary students.

They can learn how to maximise a cut of meat, how to use it effectively, what cooking techniques work best, how long to cook it, what temperatures to use and even what the sounds in the pan are telling you during the cooking process.

Ultimately, however, it all comes back to eating quality. One thing that differentiates Australia is our Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system. This system assesses the quality of meat to ensure consistency. What you eat today should taste the same tomorrow and the day after. That consistency is what our assurance system is designed to deliver.

How would you describe the current state of the global meat industry?

If you compare where we are today with where we were three months ago, before the conflict escalated in the Middle East, the landscape is very different. Prior to the conflict, we did not face the same supply-chain challenges.

Today, Mauritius is feeling some of those effects as well. Whether you are exporting Australian, Brazilian, Uruguayan or Argentinian meat into the Middle East, the issue is the same. The Middle East is a major red meat-consuming region.

If a product cannot enter those markets, exporters need to identify alternative destinations. Mauritius is not a major red meat market when compared with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Iraq, but it is nevertheless seeing different cuts, qualities and origins of meat entering the market.

This is probably a temporary phase rather than a permanent one, but it is certainly an interesting period. More broadly, the global meat industry is evolving rapidly. Much of this change is being driven by shifting consumer expectations.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability. Food security is becoming a regular topic of discussion within households. Perhaps most importantly, consumers are seeking not only premium products but also traceability. Traceability is where Australia differentiates itself. Our systems allow consumers to understand the journey of a product from farm to plate.

Could Australia’s farming model be replicated in Africa, or does Australian beef and lamb have to originate from Australia?

Meat & Livestock Australia is a not-for-profit service provider for the Australian red meat industry. We represent Australia’s cattle, sheep and goat industries. Each year, we invest close to A$300m in research, development and marketing activities that drive innovation, open new markets and build demand for Australian red meat.

When it comes to replicating our model, every country is different. No two countries are exactly alike. Australia benefits from being an island continent, and one of the advantages of that geography is that we remain relatively disease-free. For example, South Africa is currently dealing with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which has affected livestock availability. Different countries are at different stages of development and face different challenges.

From a Meat & Livestock Australia perspective, our investment in research, development and adoption of new technologies is world-class. If we are not number one, we are certainly among the top two or three globally. We take these issues extremely seriously because we understand the long-term value they create.

Whether we are talking about sustainability, animal welfare or productivity, our objective is to ensure that land remains productive not only today but for decades into the future. Animal welfare is extremely important. Not only is it the right thing to do from an ethical perspective, but a less-stressed animal also delivers a better eating experience. Whether the meat ends up in a curry, a steak or a lamb dish, eating quality remains fundamental.

That quality does not come without investment. Australia leads the world in focusing on eating quality. Ultimately, none of the systems matter if consumers do not enjoy the final meal. For us, that is one of the biggest selling points of Australian red meat: the eating quality and the discipline applied throughout the entire value chain.

Between sheep, goat and beef, which is currently the most demanded meat, in Mauritius and globally?

It depends on the market and the consumer segment. If we look at sheep meat, it generally appeals to a broad audience. It is widely consumed across the Middle East, Mauritius and many parts of the Americas.

Beef, however, is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the premium segment. That growth is being driven by quality-focused products such as Black Angus and Wagyu. Australia is now the world’s largest exporter of Wagyu by volume. While Wagyu originated in Japan, Australia exports more Wagyu than any other country.

Wagyu is about much more than simply beef. It is about the taste profile, visual appearance and overall eating experience. Traditionally, Wagyu is not something people cook regularly at home. It is more closely associated with fine dining. Fine dining naturally connects to tourism and hospitality, and Mauritius has an established luxury hospitality sector where premium beef products are increasingly featured. 

At the same time, we are seeing a similar premiumisation trend emerging in lamb. Australian processors and exporters are applying the same approach to sheep meat through genetics, feeding programmes and breeding strategies. As a result, lamb is now delivering the same type of mouthfeel, tenderness and flavour profile that consumers increasingly expect from premium beef.

Traditionally, many consumers viewed lamb as a product destined for slow-cooked dishes or curries. The assumption was that long cooking times would dominate the flavour profile anyway. That perception is changing. Today’s consumers increasingly want fine-dining experiences that feature lamb as the centrepiece rather than simply an ingredient.

This shift is part of a broader premiumisation trend taking place across many markets. Hotels and restaurants often lead these trends because consumers experience a product there first, and then attempt to recreate that experience at home. That inspiration is exactly what we want to encourage.

It is also part of the educational process that Chef Tariq is delivering today. The impact extends beyond Mauritius. The same knowledge and techniques will eventually spread throughout Africa, including markets such as Kenya, Algeria and Tanzania. In the Middle East, where we already have a strong presence, red meat remains a daily consumption habit.

You are already operating in the premium meat segment, and now Wagyu has taken that concept even further. What does it take to produce Wagyu?

Producing Wagyu requires investment, but it also requires patience. Different Wagyu programmes follow different feeding systems. Some animals begin on grass before transitioning to grain finishing. Others may be grain-fed from an early stage.

The defining characteristic of Wagyu is its intramuscular fat. That marbling is what creates the distinctive taste profile and eating experience. Consumers do not generally consume Wagyu in the same quantities as conventional beef cuts such as sirloin or rump.

Instead, Wagyu is about complementing flavours and creating a premium dining experience. The focus becomes the complete plate, the vegetables, sauces, accompaniments and overall presentation.

Some of the strongest growth markets for Wagyu include luxury resorts in Mauritius, as well as destinations such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Korea, China and the United Kingdom. The UK, in particular, has been a rapid adopter of premium Wagyu products.

What may have started as a trend has now become a fully established category within premium beef. Importantly, there are no signs of that demand slowing down.

It is often said that Wagyu cattle are heavily pampered. Is that true?

I would not necessarily describe it as pampering. What I would say is that diet and management are carefully controlled. Eating quality depends on the entire production process. It involves how the animal is raised, the sustainability of the land and the overall environment in which it lives.

If animals are raised in feedlots, for example, those feedlots are designed to minimise unnecessary stress. Shade structures are provided, and animal welfare remains a priority. When producing a premium product, you are protecting a significant investment. That means respecting both the land and the production process.

Ultimately, everything comes back to the consumer experience. When someone pays a premium for a Wagyu product, they are not simply purchasing meat; they are purchasing an experience. The value is found in the taste.

If consumers leave a restaurant saying they enjoyed Australian Wagyu from Victoria or Queensland, that becomes part of the product’s story. Stories create ambassadors. Those ambassadors then begin asking where they can purchase the same product themselves, whether through premium retailers, specialist stores or online platforms.

If the product does not consistently deliver, consumers do not return. That is why quality remains essential. This is where Meat & Livestock Australia and the Aussie Beef & Lamb brand have been particularly successful.

At the same time, we can never become complacent. We must continue developing our educational programmes, improving our production systems and maintaining Australia’s disease-free status. That assurance adds value throughout the supply chain. Consumers want confidence in the products they purchase, particularly during periods when other regions are experiencing supply disruptions.

How long has the premium meat segment existed as a commercial category?

Australia has been one of the leaders in developing this market. However, premium meat as a clearly defined category is still relatively young. If you go back five to seven years, the focus was more on eating quality itself rather than on creating a separate premium segment.

Consumers occasionally encountered exceptional products, but there was less deliberate market positioning around premium meat. Over time, however, consumer aspirations evolved.

People increasingly wanted something different from mainstream offerings. Once demand emerges, commercial operators respond. Farmers and processors begin evaluating whether additional investment makes economic sense. Do they invest more in feed? Do they invest more in genetics? Do they reduce herd sizes in order to improve quality? Do they target higher marbling scores?

These are all commercial decisions driven by demand. The food-service sector played an important role in creating that demand. Restaurants introduced premium products to consumers, and consumers responded positively. Businesses then analysed the numbers and determined that premium production was commercially viable.

Once momentum develops, it tends to build on itself. Today, Australia is in a fortunate position. Despite the turbulence created by the conflict in the Middle East, trade issues in China, new agreements with the European Union and tariff discussions involving the United States, demand for premium Australian beef and lamb remains strong.

What has changed is not demand itself, but rather where products are being sold. Markets have diversified.

Even with the disruptions in the Middle East?

Absolutely. The demand is still there. Whether you are talking about the United States, Japan, Korea, Greater China or the Middle East, consumers continue to seek premium Australian beef and lamb.

The challenge is logistics. Most products are transported by sea, and shipping routes have been affected. As a result, we have increasingly relied on air freight. That obviously adds cost to the supply chain. However, the fact that importers and consumers are willing to absorb those additional costs demonstrates the strength of demand. 

Consumers have become accustomed to these products. They want them on their plates. Whether they are dining out or preparing meals at home, they are actively seeking Australian beef and lamb. 

When supply-chain disruptions occur, distributors have a choice: walk away from the opportunity or find alternative solutions. At present, air freight remains available and continues to keep business moving.

On the African continent, which country or region would you describe as your strongest market?

I would not necessarily describe any country as our “best” client because a great deal depends on logistics and freight costs. Mauritius is very well known to Australia, and we enjoy a strong bilateral relationship.

One of the challenges, however, is shipping. Much like dairy products, vessels do not usually travel directly from Australia to Mauritius. They generally transit through Malaysia, Singapore or Colombo before being transferred onto feeder vessels.

Current geopolitical tensions have also affected shipping routes. At present, Mauritius is probably one of the larger-volume markets for Australian red meat in Africa. That said, Africa remains a region that Australian processors and exporters have not yet fully explored.

Historically, demand from other major economies absorbed much of Australia’s available supply. What we are seeing now, because of geopolitical uncertainty and supply-chain disruptions, is a greater willingness among commercial operators to diversify their markets. That diversification is one of the reasons we are here today.

Without asking for specific figures, how significant is the loss of the Middle East market at the moment?

I would not necessarily describe it as a loss. In many respects, the loss is more significant for consumers in the Middle East than for the Australian industry itself. Australian processors and exporters are highly resilient businesses. When challenges emerge, they adapt quickly. Rather than focusing on markets experiencing disruption, they redirect products towards alternative destinations.

As an industry, we are not yet feeling a major financial loss. Yes, export volumes into certain Middle Eastern markets have declined significantly. In some cases, volumes are down by between 30 and 50 per cent.

However, those products have found alternative homes remarkably quickly. Even I have been surprised by how rapidly the industry has adjusted. That adaptability demonstrates the strength of Australia’s red meat sector. Our exporters understand the markets in which they operate.

Increasingly, they are not simply trading commodities; they are building brands. That branding is reinforced by Meat & Livestock Australia and the Aussie Beef & Lamb platform, which acts as the public face of the industry internationally. Through our market-access initiatives, education programmes and live-export work, we support the broader efforts of Australian exporters.

These educational programmes are particularly important because they create demand at the chef level. When chefs begin asking procurement teams for Australian lamb or Australian beef, it becomes someone else’s responsibility to source and secure those products.

That creates significant commercial value. Today, Australia exports close to 80 per cent of all the red meat it produces.

You are certainly making a convincing case for Aussie Lamb.

If you simply took South African lamb and Australian lamb, cooked them in exactly the same way and conducted a blind tasting, I think the results would speak for themselves. I would encourage anyone to taste the products being prepared today.

Watch the students. Observe their reactions. Mauritius is not a massive market in volume terms. With a population of around 1.2 million people, there are natural limits to how much product can be sold. However, if we can recruit ambassadors who carry that message elsewhere, then we have achieved success. For us, that is a win.

Australia is geographically distant from Mauritius. Would direct shipping connections make a significant difference?

Ultimately, we are all dependent on the global shipping industry. Shipping companies determine where value exists within international trade routes. One reason South Africa has benefited during periods of disruption, including COVID-19 and the Red Sea crisis, is its strategic location around the Cape of Good Hope.

That route became essential when vessels needed safer alternatives to traditional shipping corridors. Would shipping companies establish direct routes to Mauritius today? Probably not.

However, if you look at the future growth potential of Mauritius and larger African economies such as Nigeria, the picture may look very different in ten years’ time. As disposable incomes rise and economies continue to develop, demand will increase. Many African countries also produce significant quantities of agricultural products and natural resources.

That creates opportunities for reciprocal trade relationships. Over the next decade or 15 years, countries and companies will increasingly seek to maximise the value of their natural resources. Natural resources generate wealth. Wealth creates demand. Demand creates aspirations for higher-quality products.

Whether that product is vegetables, red meat, wine, furniture, vehicles, clothing or luxury goods, the pattern is generally the same. That is why we view Africa through a long-term lens.

It is a region worth understanding and engaging with. Both Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian processors want to better understand the opportunities that will emerge. 

And those opportunities will emerge! Africa remains one of the last major growth frontiers in the global economy. With a population exceeding one billion people, the potential is undeniable. While wealth is not yet evenly distributed, continued development, stability and effective government policies can help unlock enormous opportunities across the continent.

Finally, what are you taking back home from Mauritius?

For me, that is an easy question. Every time I come to Mauritius, and we have been visiting for around ten years now, I take back a different type of Mauritian rum. It is exceptional. I usually take back the maximum amount allowed, which is about four litres. I simply enjoy discovering different varieties.

I also take back local fruit products and specialty foods. I am a huge fan of chilli, so I always bring back jars of Mauritian green chilli. I love spicy food, particularly from places such as India and Sri Lanka, and Mauritius offers fantastic flavours.

Whenever possible, I take back spices, herbs and other local products. I usually dedicate an entire suitcase to food. I will often bring back a sarong as well, or a sulu, as we would call it.

More than anything, though, it is the food culture that I appreciate. The spices, herbs, flavours and hospitality are remarkable. I probably take back around 20 kilograms of products each trip.

I have a genuine affection for Mauritius and always enjoy returning.