About our partners
Apex Greenhouses design, manufacture and build innovative turnkey greenhouse projects to suit a wide range of requirements. They also provide a full range of greenhouse equipment including heating, irrigation and computer systems as well as greenhouse machinery that help shape the greenhouse industry and grow a prosperous and sustainable future for clients and customers. Apex is interested in collaborating on high-tech indoor cropping and vertical farming projects under the CRC’s Research Program 2.
Armidale Regional Council represents a local government area in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions of New South Wales, Australia. The region extends primarily eastward from the city of Armidale through farming districts to the gorges and escarpments that mark the edge of the Northern Tablelands. One of six LGAs participating in the CRC’s ‘Hub Club’, Armidale CC will collaborate in projects under Research Program 1 around the creation of smart, sustainable food hubs, with the long-term aim of developing such a precinct in the Armidale region.
With its origins in the high-quality seed processing and service industry, AustGrains, established in 1971, has grown into a diversified agribusiness. The company now specialises in the commercialisation and supply of speciality non-GMO seeds, grains and ingredients into higher-value food-ingredient categories and premium stockfeed rationing markets, domestically and internationally. The company’s manufacturing, processing and storage facilities in Moree, New South Wales, are industry HACCP-certified; AustGrains also has regional east-coast offices in Moree and Toowoomba, Queensland. Established in 1971, the company’s fundamentals are food security, functional foods for nutrition and quality supply chains. It will bring these strengths to its involvement with projects under Research Programs 1 and 3, initially collaborating with researchers from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) on a project focused on lupins.
Driven by a belief that consumers and all supply-chain participants can benefit from greater transparency and streamlined transactions in the beef supply chain, BeefLedger is developing and commercialising an integrated blockchain-enabled beef provenance platform and smart contracting payments regime that streamlines payments and strengthens consumer confidence in product credentialing. BeefLedger’s blockchain security and payments platform seeks to harness a diversity of product provenance information, and will drive efficiencies in the supply chain by reducing information asymmetries between transacting parties. BeefLedger’s participation in the CRC will include collaborating in the development of smart, RT-connected food hubs and streamlined supply chains under Research Program 1.
Bruker’s sophisticated scientific instruments and high-value analytical and diagnostic solutions enable scientists to explore life and materials at molecular, cellular and microscopic levels. The company collaborates closely with clients in life-science molecular research; applied and pharma applications; and microscopy, nano-analysis and industrial applications. Bruker has also become a provider of high-performance systems for cell biology, preclinical imaging, clinical phenomics and proteomics research, clinical microbiology and molecular pathology research. It provided a suite of state-of-the-art equipment for the Australian National Phenome Centre at Murdoch University, and its instrumentation will be critical in cutting-edge research to advance personalised medicine and precision nutrition under the CRC’s Research Program 3.
Charles Darwin University aspires to become a truly international dual-sector university. It has world-class and emerging research strengths in areas critical to the sustainable and prosperous development of Northern Australia and the region, particularly Indigenous and tropical health, environmental science, public policy, engineering, information technology and Indigenous knowledge, through engagement with governments, industry, institutions and stakeholders.
The Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ) is a national public institute established to research and develop inspection and quarantine science and technology. CAIQ’s areas of research and technical strengths include food safety, animal and plant quarantine, chemicals, cosmetics, mechanical and electrical products, consumer product safety, food nutrition, molecular biology, health quarantine, epidemiology and instrumental analysis. CAIQ is looking to participate in collaborative projects under the CRC’s Research Program 3.
Coffs Harbour City Council represents a local government area within the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia that encompasses the regional city of Coffs Harbour, an area adjacent to the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line. One of six LGAs participating in the CRC’s ‘Hub Club’, Coffs Harbour CC will collaborate in projects under Research Program 1 aimed at developing smart, sustainable regional food hubs.
Australia’s leading grower, packer and marketer of premium-quality fresh fruit and veg, Costa Group supplies produce to major Australian supermarket chains, independent grocers and other food-industry stakeholders, also exporting to Asia, North America and Europe. To meet demand for fresh produce year-round, the company has forged strong relationships with several growers, who supplement and extend the offering from Costa’s own farms. Costa Farms and Logistics also operates wholesale markets for fresh produce and provides value-added supply-chain and logistics services. Currently, Costa Tomato Farm near Guyra, NSW, is expanding into a $67 million, 10-hectare nursery growing snacking and cocktail tomato varieties, expected to ramp up to full production by 2020. Simultaneously, Costa is expanding its regional packing facility to handle the extra volume. The company will participate in projects under Research Program 2 around cost-saving innovations in protected cropping environments, and in the creation of regional food precincts under Program 1.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) is investing $75 million in Commonwealth funds over 10 years, along with funds from the Northern Territory Government and the state governments of Western Australia and Queensland, to support industry-led research collaborations. Its focus is on identifying opportunities for business and growth across Australia’s north. CRCNA is looking to develop new technologies, products and services that address issues of particular relevance to Northern Australia and help build an industry-ready, skilled regional workforce in the fields of agriculture, food and health. The CRCNA will collaborate in Future Food Systems CRC projects that advance these aims under all three Research Program streams.
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is working closely with the state’s nine Regional Development Commissions to foster sustainable growth across regional Western Australia, taking steps to encourage, promote, facilitate and monitor economic development in the region. DPIRD will contribute to projects under Research Program 1 aimed at developing sustainable regional food hubs, initially for Peel and eventually, across WA.
EscaVox offers a service to help growers, retailers and other supply-chain partners manage their supply chains more effectively. By providing independent and objective data on the performance of fresh-food supply chains all the way from farm to retail shelf, better-informed decisions can be made about managing product and investments supply. For example, greater visibility of the cool chain makes it easier to see temperature and dwell-time issues. This allows for corrective actions to be taken to reduce product loss and rejections and provide a more consistent, quality product for customers. EscaVox will collaborate in supply-chain-related projects under Research Program 1.
Fable Food Co was founded by mushroom producer and Young Organic Farmer of the Year Chris McLoghlin, who views regenerative farming as the future of food and medicine. According to McLoghlin, the company’s strengths lie in innovation, product quality and diversity, and vertical integration. Fable Food Co’s primary business is growing high-nutrient mushroom species in organic compost, primarily for use in nutraceutical supplements. McLoghlin is keen to join forces with CRC research and industry participants in developing novel, clinically proven nutriceuticals based on organically grown shiitake mushrooms under Research Program 3.
FarmGate MSU is Australia’s first truly mobile abattoir and on-farm processing company. They champion the ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy and business model, opening the gate to the next level of premium-quality beef – beef that goes direct from the farmer’s paddock to diners’ plates. Not only do Farmgate MSU’s mobile abattoirs reduce the length of the supply chain and ensure full traceability of the product, they also reduce animal stress. While other ‘paddock to plate’ models take livestock from farm to trucks to large-scale abattoirs to butchers before it reaches consumers’ plates, FarmGate MSU ensures animals are processed in calm, stress-free and familiar environs, cutting out the middlemen and delivering fresher, tastier meat. The company is looking to collaborate on supply-chain-related projects under Research Program 1.
Food & Fibre Gippsland was formed in March 2019, a result of the amalgamation of two regional Victorian industry bodies: Agribusiness Gippsland and the East Gippsland Food Cluster. The merge created a united, collaborative powerhouse, the mission of which is to lead capacity-building, innovation and knowledge-sharing for the greater good of the food and fibre sector across Gippsland. Food & Fibre Gippsland is interested in participating in projects under Research Program 1 to develop a smart, sustainable, future-focused food hub in the region.
Food Innovation Australia Ltd, the Commonwealth Growth Centre for Food and Agribusiness, is an industry-led not-for-profit organisation focused on growing the share of Australian food in the global marketplace. It works to facilitate informed commercial decisions and inspire growth and business confidence in our food and agribusiness industry by providing practical skills from industry experts, connecting businesses with researchers to kick start industry investment and fostering innovation, FIAL’s skill set covers all aspects of the food and agribusiness value chain from research and product development to packaging and exporting. As such, it plays a key role in helping to design and develop sustainable food precincts and streamlined supply chains under Research Program 1.
Food Innovation Partners (FIP) has 20-plus years’ experience across all sectors of Australia’s agri-food industry; all parts of the value chain, from primary production to processing, packaging, transport/logistics and retail sale; and all levels of business, from start-ups to SMEs to multinational companies. Strong relationships with food companies and R&D organisations around Australia and internationally enable FIP to match research opportunities with business entities, translating research outcomes into commercial competitive advantage and, conversely, turning commercial opportunities into viable research projects. Its vast network of food-related industry bodies, consultants, knowledge experts, financiers and government allow it to fast-track processes, reduce costs and collaborate with experts to drive innovation in virtually every area of the agri-food sector. Food Industry Partners will bring extensive experience and connections to its collaborations on CRC projects across the board.
Great Southern Truffles produces a range of premium gourmet truffle products, delivered direct to customers, and offers truffle-hunting services and grading advice across Western Australia’s south-western region. Great Southern Truffles is keen to collaborate in value-adding projects under the CRC’s Research Program 3.
Greenbio Group produces high-quality, dependable, clinically validated medicines and medicinal-grade supplements for human and animal use, including products developed to treat selected specific health conditions. The group also utilises vertical systems and limited-space indoor technology to optimise urban farming and food production. Greenbio Group will play a key role in CRC projects under Research Program 2, high-tech indoor cropping solutions; and Program 3, adding value.
As the grower-owned research and development corporation for Australia’s horticulture industry, Hort Innovation’s primary function is creating value for horticulture growers and those across the horticulture supply chain. Each year, this not-for-profit industry body invests more than $100 million in R&D, marketing and trade programs on behalf of the nation’s horticulture industry. Through these investments, it works to improve the productivity, farm-gate profitability and global competitiveness of specific industries and of Australian horticulture as a whole. Hort Innovation is looking to collaborate in CRC projects under all three Research Program streams.
iMOVE is a consortium of 44 industry, government, and research partners engaged in a concerted 10-year effort to improve Australia’s transport systems through collaborative R&D projects. It will help companies – and Australia – become more competitive, productive and prosperous. iMOVE is working with the CRC on a number of projects around transport infrastructure and streamlining supply chains. The CRC is also a sponsor and key participant in the annual Transport of Tomorrow conference, which includes a freight component for the first time in 2020.
Liverpool City Council is a local government area to the south-west of Sydney, New South Wales. The area encompasses 3,055 square kilometers; its administrative centre is located in the suburb of Liverpool, which hopes to benefit from the presence of the soon-to-be-built, curfew-free, international Sydney Airport. Liverpool CC is one of the key drivers of projects under Research Program 1 to develop, design and ultimately, deliver streamlined, sustainable, future-focused food hubs.
Sydney-based LLEAF Pty Ltd is focused on boosting natural sunlight’ in protected cropping facilities, thereby improving yield. The company’s award-winning technology is a luminescent light-emitting agricultural film known as LLEAF that can be retrofitted to existing greenhouse glass. Developed in a R&D laboratory at UNSW, LLEAF has been trialled in four crops on three continents, showing promising increases in yield. The goal is to enable year-round indoor production of even non-native crops, maximising yields and thus, grower profits.
Bordered to the north by the highly biodiverse Mt Lindesay National Park and on the south by the Denmark River, Mt Lindesay farm features undulating gully dams, pristine and regrowth forests, and granite outcrops. Transformed from a neglected property, the farm is now a veritable arboretum with a diversity of natural, timber, and agronomically productive trees. Through controlling salinity, weeds, and conserving riparian vegetation, Mt Lindesay’s prime lamb and specialty horticultural produce aims to balance productivity and environmental sustainability to produce healthier foods. Mt Lindesay’s participation in the CRC will focus on healthy bioactive components of selected artichoke varieties, and the agronomic and post-harvest processing technologies for foods that maintain the highest nutritional, gastronomic, and functional food values.
From its inception, Murdoch University has been a research-led university, and not surprisingly, it has a reputation for world-class research output. Its researchers focus primarily on the significant social and scientific challenges of our time, including climate change, environmental sustainability and adaptation, food, water and biosecurity, as well as on human and animal health and welfare. Often partnering with corporate, government and external academic bodies, much of Murdoch’s research is underpinned by a deep understanding of politics, governance and international affairs, helping translate outcomes into impact.
Myera Group founder and Cree Indian Bruce Hardy is committed to improving the health of adults and children in vulnerable communities, working extensively with Indigenous people in his native Canada. The group’s primary focus is on developing intelligent technological solutions for early and personalised health intervention that bridge the gap between sustainable food supplies and community nutritional needs. Over the past decade, Bruce has leveraged his expertise in applied technological research to foster partnerships that connect experts in the fields of nutrition, human health and food production. Together, they’ve developed a suite of innovative technologies, tools and practices to provide solutions that meet local communities’ specific health and nutritional needs. Myera will collaborate in Research Program 3 projects around personalised medicine and precision nutrition, and in Program 1 projects developing sustainable food precincts, particularly in Indigenous communities.
The Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries is responsible for the administration and development of agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry and biosecurity across the Northern Territory. The Department works to drive innovation in primary industries to improve resilience, productivity and sustainability, and to ensure that risks are properly managed for natural resources, farming and food. It will collaborate in CRC research projects that help it meet these objectives.
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, a division of the New South Wales Government, is responsible for the administration and development of agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, and biosecurity across the state. The Department works to drive innovation in primary industries to improve resilience, productivity and sustainability, and ensure risks are managed for natural resources, farming and food, and is keen to contribute expertise to CRC projects that further these goals.
NSW Farmers is a not-for-profit association of farmers and stakeholders of the agricultural industry. Its members gather in branches across NSW to discuss issues affecting their businesses and learn more about agricultural topics they consider important. The organisation’s grassroots branch structure creates a framework for agricultural knowledge transfer and for identifying issues that affect farmers at local, state and federal levels. NSW Farmers is a lobby group for the farming sector, championing the rights of farmers and rural communities at all levels of government and with industry stakeholders. Apolitical and independent from government, with policy driven from the ground up, the organisation acts proactively, responsively and with integrity. NSW Farmers will participate in various CRC projects across the state.
Olive Vale is a progressive North Queensland enterprise developing new product lines for export to North Asia. Currently, Cape-York-based Olive Vale has just under 300,000 ha of land and runs livestock on most of it. While only a small percentage is devoted to cropping, the station has become self-sufficient with respect to livestock feed, successfully harvesting hay even in drought conditions. Owner Paul Ryan, an advocate for Top-End cropping, runs university and QDAF trials on the property and is looking to expand his cropping acreage to include various drought-tolerant, indigenous and commercially viable species.
Olive Vale will collaborate with tropical crop experts at Charles Darwin University (CDU), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD) and local Aboriginal communities on a CRC project under Research Program 3 exploring the commercialisation potential of native wild rice and other indigenous crops in Northern Australia.
Video of Olive Vale owner Paul Ryan: http://www.olivevalepastoral.com.au
The Oz Medicann Group is an Australian group of companies that aim to deliver medicinal cannabis-based therapeutic solutions for patients in domestic and international markets. Under a business model focused on research, cultivation and education, OMG develops innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of industry, patients and health-conscious consumers. The group’s objective is to deliver high-quality medicinal and therapeutic solutions to ‘the people who need them most’. Oz Medicann is looking to collaborate on CRC projects in the personalised medicine and precision nutrition space under Research Program 3.
Established in November 1997, P’Petual was a pioneer in greenhouse farming in Australia. Today, it’s one of the largest greenhouse vegetable growers in the country, with a 12-hectare (120,000m2) facility on the Adelaide Plains, just north of South Australia’s capital. The company grows and markets a wide variety of greenhouse-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants year-round, selling to supermarket chains and greengrocers nationwide. Its specialised equipment includes climate-control computers that precisely record and regulate environmental factors such as heating, fogging, shade, irrigation and plant nutrition requirements. The company adopts ‘green farming’ practices such as an intensive integrated pest management (IPM) program and the latest water-recycling and CO2-capture technologies to minimise negative environmental impacts. P’Petual brings extensive experience in sustainable greenhouse production and technology to projects under the CRC’s Research Program 2.
Western Australia’s Peel region is on the brink of exciting change. It is forecast that over the next two decades the region will experience a significant influx of people, attracted by the area’s abundant resources, picturesque environment and enviable lifestyle. By 2050, Peel is expected to rival the South West as one of the state’s most populous regions outside of Perth, with a projected population of 444,000. This increase in population will bring new vibrancy and prosperity to – as well as challenges for the community. The Peel Development Commission is embracing the challenge and has worked closely with more than 200 stakeholders to form a shared view of Peel’s future as a ‘progressive, prosperous and dynamic’ region. The PDC will work with CRC participants to ensure that the region’s future food facilities are developed in smart, sustainable ways.
Since 1978, Perfection has been sourcing new fresh-produce varieties from around the globe, bringing them to Australia to grow and sell domestically. In recent years, the company has introduced several new varieties to the Australian market, from Broccolini® – one of the company’s tastiest ‘field discoveries’ – to snack-sized baby cucumber variety, Qukes®. Perfection’s output includes an array of vine-ripened tomato varieties. It also grows and markets exclusive lines of blueberries, raspberries and mangoes. Perfection will collaborate in projects involving fresh-produce supply-chain logistics and cold-chain storage under the CRC’s Research Program 1, protected-cropping innovations under Program 2, and ways to add value to fresh produce under Program 3.
Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Tours is owned and operated by Aboriginal people, with most of its tours taking place from the Adelaide River on lands in and around UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park that are owned and managed by Aboriginal people. Guests are taught and shown traditional techniques for making instruments, weapons and food-collection receptacles; and can join guided walks and talks. led by Indigenous locals. Pudakul is looking to provide input on traditional ‘bush’ foods and medicines to CRC projects under Research Programs 1 and 3.
QUT is well known as ‘a university for the real world’ because of its relevant teaching, applied research and close links with industry. The university’s trans-disciplinary research approach delivers unique solutions to some of the biggest questions facing the world today. Industry representatives and professionals contribute to course development, adding a practical perspective. QUT’s academic staff consult in industry and work on industry and government projects, translating their research to deliver real-world impacts.
Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a national network of 52 committees made up of local leaders who work with all levels of government, business and community groups to support the development of their regions. This federal government initiative brings together all levels of government to support the development of regional Australia. It is funded by the Australian Government and by state, territory and local governments in some jurisdictions, and is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development. RDA will play a role in the projects under Research Program 1 around the development of future-focused regional food hubs.
Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a national network of 52 committees made up of local leaders who work with all levels of government, business and community groups to support the development of their regions. This federal government initiative brings together all levels of government to support the development of regional Australia. It is funded by the Australian Government and by state, territory and local governments in some jurisdictions, and is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development. RDA will play a role in the projects under Research Program 1 around the development of future-focused regional food hubs.
A family-owned business, Rijk Zwaan performs breeding and seed-production activities supporting the Northern Hemisphere contra-season and provides selection pressure and testing of varietal performance under Australian conditions. The company also creates and develops new varieties. The company liaises continually with people along the entire vegetable supply chain to determine priorities for its breeding programs to stay at the forefront of variety choice and innovation. Rijk Zwaan and its partners are keen to contribute actively to the global food supply, and look to drive greater vegetable consumption by laying the foundations for increasingly healthy and appealing fresh produce. The company will collaborate in the development of sustainable regional food precincts under Research Program 1.
SproutStack’s indoor farms help communities ‘live fresher’ by improving access to locally grown, sustainably farmed fresh produce year-round. By growing produce indoors, the company is able to control the growing environment precisely, resulting in consistent quality and shorter growing cycles. It deploys a mix of the latest commercially available technologies to achieve optimal freshness, taste and nutritional value, growing non-GMO varieties without pesticides under energy-efficient LED lights that ensure ideal light conditions regardless of weather or seasonal variations. An automated irrigation system ensures plants get optimal water while using 95 percent less water than similar crops in traditional growing systems. All the nutrients crops need to thrive are supplied. And as SproutStack farms are modular, they can be sited closer to end users, reducing food miles and leaving smaller carbon footprints. SproutStack is keen to collaborate on protected-cropping projects under the CRC’s Research Program 2 and in the development of sustainable regional and peri-urban agri-food hubs under Program 1.
The George Institute is a leading independent global medical research institute established and headquartered in Sydney, with major centers in China, India and the UK and an international network of experts and collaborators. TGI’s mission is to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly those living in disadvantaged circumstances, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases and injury.
Transform Peel is located at Nambeelup in the Peel region of Western Australia, approximately 75 kilometers south of Perth. The project comprises three integrated, strategic elements: a 42,000-hectare Peel Food Zone; a 1,000-hectare Peel Business Park; and the Peel Integrated Water Initiative. The 35-year project is expected to culminate in a $16.2 billion-per-annum economic output following its completion in 2050. Transform Peel is devised, developed and delivered by Western Australia’s Peel Development Commission. Transform Peel is keen to participate in projects under Research Program 1 around the development of future-focused regional food hubs.
For more than 60 years, the University of New England has been a leader in providing distance education to students across Australia and the world. UNE, formed in 1938 as a College of the University of Sydney, became fully independent in 1954 and pioneered teaching to external students by correspondence, making UNE Australia’s most experienced provider of distance and, now, online education.
UNSW takes pride in the broad range and high quality of its teaching programs, which gain strength and currency from the university’s research activities, strong industry links and international nature. UNSW’s strong regional and global engagement and its partnerships with local and international communities allows it to share knowledge, debate and research outcomes.
Varona Fine Foods is a Western Australian-based company specialising in the supply of premium Australian produce including fresh black Melanosporum truffles, live West Australian-grown marron, live yabbies, wild and farmed abalone, award-winning extra-virgin olive oils, high-grade seafood and meats, late-harvest shiraz vinegar, freshly pressed verjuices, native Australian bush spice and other premium products. The company prides itself on superior sourcing of ‘Australia’s best produce’ and how to transport it expertly, delivering across Australia and beyond. Varona is interested in collaborating in CRC projects to do with developing regional food hubs and streamlining supply chains under Research Program 1; and in value-adding projects under Research Program 3.
WBS Technology, operating in Australia since January 2011, is a leading Australian manufacturer and provider of high-quality, energy-efficient, warranty-backed LED lighting. All its products are designed and developed in-house by WBS’s research and development engineers, then stringently tested to ensure reliability and longevity. The company is big on innovation,, aiming to produce LED emergency lighting that can be leveraged to cost-effectively provide building owners and operators with the technology and IoT networks they need to create smarter, cleaner, safer and more sustainable buildings. The company will collaborate on projects under Research Program 2.
Western Sydney University is a research institution driven by impact. Excellent research and practical outcomes are essential parts of the university’s overarching research mission. WSU research has real impact upon the social, economic and environmental well being of its regional, national and international communities.