From Farm to Games: Why Food Businesses Should Start Planning for Brisbane 2032

Brisbane 2032 may still feel comfortably distant, but for Australia’s food and beverage businesses, the starting whistle has already sounded. A new report from Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) warns that businesses delaying their adoption of emerging technologies like integrated booking and catering systems could cause businesses to miss some of the commercial opportunities created by the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. According to Food & Drink Business, technologies such as artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, digital modelling, and fermentation could help businesses improve production, strengthen supply chains, reduce waste, and prepare for Games-time demand. The opportunities extend well beyond feeding athletes. Brisbane 2032 will bring spectators, officials, volunteers, media, and visitors to Queensland, all with different dietary requirements, expectations, and dining preferences. By comparison, the Paris 2024 Games attracted more than 700,000 spectators on a single day. FaBA’s earlier Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games White Paper included 57 recommendations. These included targeted training for service businesses, digital ordering and predictive modelling to manage peak demand, sourcing food from more regions to strengthen supply chains, and reusable systems and food waste upcycling. The latest paper narrows the focus to five priorities: embracing emerging technology, recognising athletes and general consumers as different markets, encouraging collaboration, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring decisions made now create benefits beyond the Games. There is also a strong opportunity for Australian produce to take centre stage. Queensland seafood, macadamias, chickpeas, vegetables, olive oil, and native ingredients could help give visitors a dining experience that feels distinctly local rather than simply functional. FaBA director Dr Chris Downs described Brisbane 2032 as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite innovation, collaboration and sustainability.” Technology will play an important role, but people will still turn those systems and ingredients into memorable experiences. Hospitality businesses will need adaptable chefs, supervisors, managers, and service professionals who understand changing customer expectations. For businesses, the message is simple: 2032 preparation should not begin in 2031. The venues and producers that start planning, training, collaborating, and experimenting now will be better placed to make the most of the opportunity well before the crowds arrive.