Future Food Systems eNews issue # 14 – May 2021

From the CEO

This month has seen changes and additions to the CRC executive team. Distinguished Professor David Tissue has taken over from Professor Ian Anderson as the Lead for Research Program 2 – see his profile below. Dr Maria Chandra-Hioe has joined as Research Project Coordinator. Maria, a food scientist and nutritionist, will be working across the CRC research portfolio to support project formation and acquittal processes. Emma Hills has joined as Administration Officer. Emma’s previous role was in the university sector, where she assisted with the planning and construction of health precincts.

In mid-May, I presented at two national events. At the Food in the Capital conference, hosted jointly by Regional Development Australia’s ACT and Southern Inland divisions, I spoke about the potential for the ACT to become an advanced future food industry cluster. It was a terrific event, and one that helped Canberra on its journey towards becoming a sustainable, self-sufficient agrifood hub and a model for the rest of the nation.

I also had the privilege of presenting during the Australian Government’s National Dialogue on the future of food systems in the lead-up to the United Nations’ inaugural Food Systems Summit in September. The online Dialogue was very well attended and we had an enthusiastic and constructive discussion about the need to develop smart, sustainable, streamlined food chains in Australia and around the world, and how that might best be done.

This all took place in the context of the recent Federal Budget, which contained some wins for the food sector: more funding for digital tech and nationwide connectivity, regional growth and upskilling to equip our next generation to take on food production 4.0.

The CRC’s WA partners achieved a major milestone this month with a ‘sod-turning’ ceremony to mark the start of construction on the Western Australia Food Innovation Precinct, WAFIP, at Peel Business Park, just north-east of Mandurah. Supported by $52.6M in funding from federal, state and local government, the WAFIP will host collaborative CRC projects and will be the new home of Murdoch University’s Food Futures Institute. Western Australian firms with projects suitable for the Precinct can apply for dollar-matched funding of up to $200,000 through an Enterprise Support Program.

David Eyre
CEO, Future Food Systems

Project news

UNE-Costa trials yield best method available for DNA sampling of hydroponic crop rhizobiome

The initial phase of the CRC’s Tomato rhizobiome project, involving UNE researchers Dr Gal Winter, PhD Phil Thomas and industry partner Costa Group, is complete, with valuable early results achieved. The team has set up hydroponic trial plots and established a reliable sampling method for extracting high-quality DNA from their root zones. “Now we have a method that can produce high-quality DNA and is the best available today. To my knowledge, this is the first-ever study using DNA sequencing from hydroponic materials,” Dr Winter says. The new method has potential applicability across the commercial hydroponic growing sector globally. The first experimental trials to ascertain the effectiveness of Costa’s probiotic treatments are also ‘very promising’, says Costa’s Paul Butterworth. Read more

Scoping the needs of Australia’s protected cropping sector

Crop scientists at WSU have compiled a report to further our knowledge of this fast-growing horticultural sector. ‘Protected cropping: Current technologies and target crops’ details existing and emerging technology for low, medium and high-tech set-ups and investigates crops best suited to Australian conditions. Read the report.

InProfile

Meet David Tissue: Crop science expert

Lead of the CRC’s Research Program 2 and a Distinguished Professor at Western Sydney University, David Tissue’s stellar career in environmental and crop science spans decades, continents and planets. Since relocating from the USA in 2007, Dist. Prof. Tissue has been the recipient of several Australian Research Council grants. At WSU, he’s Scientific Research Director of the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre, Discipline Leader for Agriculture and Food Science, and Research Leader for Rainout Shelters at Hawkesbury Forest Experiment. Read more

Featured

WA Food Innovation Precinct

Construction of Western Australia’s first Food Innovation Precinct has commenced at Peel Business Park in Nambeelup, north of Perth. Once completed in mid-2022, the new Precinct will incorporate the $10m Peel Food Technology Facility, food labs and processing facilities, a test kitchen, business services and educational facilities, including Murdoch University’s Food Futures Institute. The CRC will work within the Precinct, providing R&D services to WA’s agrifood industry via collaborative projects involving Murdoch University and ANPC; WA DPIRD; Peel Development Commission; the Shire of Murray and producers of value-added WA products. Read more

Grants

WAFIP Enterprise Support Program to help agrifood SMEs scale up

SMEs keen to develop and commercialise new food and beverage products within the new WA Food Innovation Precinct are encouraged to apply for dollar-matched grants of up to $200,000 through the just-launched $3.85m Enterprise Support Program. Read more

Partner news

World-first clear solar glass greenhouse opens on Murdoch University campus

Constructed by ClearVue Technologies using its transparent solar-PV panels, the state-of-the-art facility will be used by renowned geneticist Professor Chengdao Li and his team to develop new plant-breeding technology and commercially viable crop varieties. Read more

Perfection Fresh goes bananas for sustainably grown bananas

Further diversifying its offerings, Australia’s leading horticultural producer-distributor has acquired Pacific Coast Produce Marketing, giving it the opportunity to license the sustainably produced, reef-friendly Red Tip™ Ecoganic™ banana. Read more

Peel Business Park calls for EOIs from innovative agrifood and ancillary businesses

WA’s Peel Business Park, site of the WA Food Innovation Precinct and a one-of-a-kind industrial microgrid providing cheap ‘green’ power to residents, is seeking expressions of interest from forward-leaning businesses keen to put their own stamp on the precinct. Read more

Food in the Capital repositions Canberra as a sustainable agrifood hub

Regional Development Australia’s ACT and Southern Inland divisions’ two-part conference explored ways to develop Canberra and the surrounding region into a smart, sustainable and largely self-sufficient agrifood cluster. CRC CEO David Eyre was part of a strong line-up of Food in the Capital speakers. Read more

The rise and rise of Fable Food Co: Michael Fox talks business

In two recent podcasts, Fable CEO Michael Fox talks about why he chose to join a fungi-based alt-meat start-up, how he secured investor backing, strategic collaborations and pandemic pivoting. Read more

Kids learn first-hand about the pathway from farm to fork via NSW Farmers initiative

NSW Farmers is teaming with primary producers across the state to deliver an array of agriculture-related experiences to primary-school students through its Kids to Farms program. Read more

UNE’s ABRI celebrates 50 years of big data for breeding better beef

The Agricultural Business Research Institute at NSW’s University of New England has been using big data to help breed better beef cattle since before the term was coined. Read more

CRC-NA appoints North Queensland mover and shaker to top role

Proud North Queenslander Anne Stünzner is looking forward to leading the CRC for Northern Australia (CRC-NA). Read more

Events

Hort Connections

7-9 June, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

With sponsors including CRC partners Hort Innovation Australia and Perfection Fresh, this year’s event will focus on factors set to shape the industry post-pandemic, from sustainable growing to new technology and labour solutions. Read more

Soil Biology Masterclass

4 & 5 August, Western Sydney University (WSU) Hawkesbury campus

WSU’s annual Soil Biology Masterclass at HIE provides core knowledge and principles of soil biology and health – along with a guided tour of WSU’s world-class crop science facilities, including the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre and its high-tech experimental glasshouse. Register by 18 June. Read more

Future of Food Asia 2021

7-11 June, Live streamed & on demand

UNSW’s Professor Johannes le Coutre, cell-cultured meat and flavour expert, is one of a long, strong line-up of international speakers at this information-packed five-day confab on topical issues impacting the future of food across the region. Read more