This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

Hort Innovation (which was then Horticulture Australia Limited) commissioned Access Economics to undertake research to produce a Balanced Scorecard that compared the performance of the Australian horticultural industry against other agricultural industries across a range of economic, environmental and social parameters.

There was a growing awareness of the increasing competitiveness of the environment in which the national horticultural industry operated. Hence, the need to monitor and gauge the impact and return from industry activities and to rate both impact and return across subject areas and against other agricultural areas had increased. Having a tool such as the Balanced Scorecard helped the then Horticulture Australia Limited to better promote the Australian horticultural industry, increase public awareness, be prepared for future challenge and secure continuous support through Government.

The report was written as an explanatory note to the Balanced Scorecard, which was considered to be the main output. It outlined:

• The approach to selecting parameters for relative comparison and a final list of chosen parameters;
• A classification of the chosen parameters into broader descriptive categories;
• A definition of each of the chosen parameters;
• The approach to data collection and the allocation of the researched figures against
• The chosen parameters in the scorecard;
• References connecting each of the figures obtained to listed sources; and
• A reference list of sources used.