Research projects
The CRC works to advance the development of sustainable food systems across three overlapping areas:
- Regional food-industry clusters that support value creation and export growth across the sector
- New equipment, tools, technology and systems for high-tech protected cropping, designed to suit Australian conditions
- Food product innovation, including novel formulations, processing and packaging solutions, and technology for establishing provenance and nutritional benefits
Specialised food industry clusters
Realising the unique potential of agrifood regions through:
- Analysis and pre-feasibility services to guide industry development
- Design solutions for sustainable industrial precincts that integrate renewable water, energy and waste technology and reduce infrastructure cost for tenants
- Supporting government and industry partners in specific regional clusters as they work to build manufacturing capability and connected value chains from farm to consumer.
High-tech controlled-environment production
More resilient, consistent and profitable production through:
- Partnering engineers with plant scientists to reimagine intensive production systems
- Applying advanced automation, control and sensing technologies to optimise the productivity of labour, energy, water and other inputs
- New downstream manufacturing partnerships, including indoor systems for producing specialised inputs for precision nutrition goods.
Value-add and scale in future food segments
Increasing the value-adding capability of the Australian food sector through:
- Novel formulation and production protocols for manufactured goods to optimise nutritional outcomes
- Innovation in specialised segments such as alternative protein goods, free-from foods and precision nutrition products, including those derived from indigenous species
- Innovation in food processing, packaging and logistics technology
- New science and technology for verifying product claims.