Future Food Systems

Mission MushVroom will be the first study to cultivate and grow mushrooms in space. Oyster mushrooms are the perfect space crop, helping astronauts meet their nutritional needs on long-duration space missions like those to Mars, while closing the loop in plant agriculture and helping to minimise inputs and waste. They are quick to grow, double in size every day, and have nutrients found across food groups, including the unique ability to make vitamin D on UV exposure- the only supplement currently given to astronauts on the International Space Station.

In February 2025, Coffs Harbour became the epicentre of food system innovation and connections as manufacturers, producers, businesses, researchers, and policymakers from across Australia gathered for Future Food Systems annual event, For Food’s Sake. Held from 26–28 February at Pacific Bay Resort, the three-day event featured a dynamic program, including workshops, site visits, a two-day…

Brisbane's ARM Hub, North Queensland Banana Farmers and Hort Innovation have teamed up to help growers identify opportunities to cut costs by adopting ‘continuous improvement and automation technology’.

The Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre (formerly known as the Food Technology Facility) was built and established through a strategic partnership between the WA State Government, Future Food Systems CRC, and Murdoch University. Designed as an open-access facility, SIFT will provide food companies with state-of-the-art infrastructure to conduct research, trial new processes, and develop innovative products. By offering shared access to high-quality equipment and expertise, the Centre aims to lower the barriers to entry for product development and reduce the risks associated with scaling up to commercial production.

A specialised Food Science and Nutrition campus run by Murdoch University has launched at the Food Innovation Precinct WA.

This research focuses on the automation of banana de-handing, aiming to reduce manual labour and enhance processing efficiency. By developing and integrating robotic systems into this core process, the project addresses labour constraints and creates opportunities for wider automation adoption in banana handling and packaging operations.