From the CEO
Despite widespread lockdowns across three states it’s been full steam ahead for the CRC, with the new financial year bringing more projects and participants.
Projects commenced this month include a second project with BeefLedger and new participant Smart Trade Networks, to expand their blockchain-enabled smart trading platform to new markets and products; and a NSW Farmers project to identify obstacles to innovation and find ways to accelerate value creation across the sector.
As part of our ongoing quest to develop smart, sustainable agrifood hubs around Australia, the CRC has joined the global cluster organisation, TCI Network. TCI membership creates opportunities to share insights and learnings with industry clusters across the world, along with access to high-level international events, resources and information.
On the regional development front, CRC activities in Western Australia’s Peel Food Zone include sponsoring and participating in the Future of Food Conference, to be held in Mandurah 23-24 September. The conference is presented by WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and major agrifood group Southern Dirt, and is supported by key stakeholders in the Food Zone including Peel Development Commission and Shire of Murray. The conference is both in-person and online, so we encourage participants in WA and nationally to attend.
In Eastern Australia, lockdowns have caused us to revise plans for face-to-face seminars and workshops scheduled for this quarter. Stay tuned for announcements in this regard.
David Eyre
CEO, Future Food Systems
Project news
Blockchain and smart trade hubs project progresses from POC to market expansion
The CRC’s first project with supply chain innovator, BeefLedger, has been completed and a new project commenced. The ‘Blockchain for smart trade’ project, involving QUT researchers and industry participant BeefLedger, established a proof of concept for a Ethereum-based smart trade platform enabling secure, transparent trade of premium beef into lucrative markets across China. BeefLedger and new CRC participant SCP Capital have now commenced a new project expanding the platform to enable smart, secure, provenance-proven trade of high-value food goods into global markets. Read more
Putting Farmers at the Centre: realising gains from agricultural innovation and growth
The food value chain starts on the farm. NSW Farmers has teamed up with UNE researchers in a project to identify obstacles to innovation and ways to accelerate value creation across the sector. Read more
InProfile
Meet Marcus Foth: food & data interaction expert
A professor of Urban Informatics and head of the QUT Design Lab at Queensland University of Technology, Marcus Foth undertakes transdisciplinary work that “brings together people, place, and technology”. Much of his research explores the cutting edge of human-computer interaction, with a focus on smart cities, community engagement, computing and sustainability. Prof. Foth is leading the CRC Smart Trade Hubs project team. Read more
Featured
CRC sponsors WA-based Future of Food event
The CRC is a major sponsor of and participant in the 2021 Future of Food conference to be held in Mandurah, WA, 23-24 September. The conference, organised by Southern Dirt with WA DPIRD, will address several topics aligned with our core mission of advancing smart, sustainable food systems. Conference sessions will be livestreamed to virtual attendees; there’s also an online expo. Read more
Grants
New MMI grants
This month a new opportunity has opened under the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative: $800m in grant funding, available under the MMI’s Collaboration stream for large-scale joint projects in priority manufacturing areas including food and beverages. Read more. The government has also announced its MMI Round 2 grant recipients, including a number of food and beverage sector manufacturers: a pie-bakery keen to expand production, a recycled-packaging manufacturer, a soon-to-be-greener brewery, a supplier of beekeeping systems, and a business looking to install new freeze-drying and processing equipment and technology. Read more
Partner news
National Freight Data Hub set to streamline Australia’s supply chains
Research on Australia’s freight transport routes under the iMOVE CRC is the basis for a new national repository of data that could prove valuable to logistics and infrastructure planners. Read more
NSW DPI to boost ag industry adoption of R&D
NSW DPI’s Agriculture Division has appointed Matt Adkins as Leader for Industry Adoption, boosting the division’s capacity to deliver science-based solutions to farmers. Read more
Costa Group buys $231m citrus operation
Major horticultural producer Costa Group has diversified its business further by acquiring a Central Queensland citrus operation. Read more
Charles Darwin University joins nationwide network for future First Nations research leaders
CDU’s Menzies School of Health Research will be part of the National Network for First Nations Researchers being established to help grow the next generation of Indigenous research leaders. Read more
UNSW report forecasts rise in harmful emissions
Despite more than 20 nations reducing their carbon emissions since 2000, more greenhouse gases were produced in 2018 than in any year previously, research from a global team that included UNSW Sydney’s Prof. Tommy Wiedmann has shown. Read more
Queensland start-up joins world-leading Zero Carbon Certification Scheme
HydroREC, a partner start-up of new CRC participant Smart Trade Networks, has become the twelfth Founding Partner in the Smart Energy Council’s new Zero Carbon Certification Scheme. Read more
Fable mycologist talks food with celebrity chef
Jim Fuller – chemical engineer, fine-dining chef, mycologist and now Chief Scientific Officer with alternative proteins firm Fable Food Co – was a recent guest on Heston Blumenthal’s podcast. Read more
QUT to lead new ARC Centre to spur adoption of beneficial technology
QUT researchers will lead the new $6.5 million ARC Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA) that aims to accelerate Australians’ adoption of innovation technologies in health, agriculture and cybersecurity. Read more
Trending
Could smart regional agrifood clusters be the key to sustainable food systems?
Sydney academic Steven Liaros contends the transition to a fully circular economy will require a paradigm shift from Big Ag to ‘a decentralised network of circular food systems’. Read more
Australian supplement companies expand markets
Despite reductions in export revenue, Australia’s supplements sector expanded during the pandemic, with firms pivoting to immunity products and finding new export markets. Read more
High-value crops drive diversity in CEA
Growers investing in high-value crops such as saffron and vanilla, and in varieties bred for sustainability, will drive greater diversity in indoor cropping, contended a panel of experts at the Indoor AgTech NYC Innovation Summit. Read more
Wageningen U+R launches its first-ever 100% Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge
In the third global Challenge, international teams will compete to grow the most profitable indoor lettuce crop from seed, this time entirely without human intervention. Read more
Made Group secures juicy export deal
Aided by Austrade, Dandenong, Victoria-based manufacturer Made Group has cracked the sophisticated and competitive Japanese beverage market with its range of cold-pressed juices, made from typically wasted grade-2 fruit. Read more
AFGC teams with GS1 to digitise, streamline food supply chains
Together, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and global standards group GS1 aim to help Australia’s food and grocery manufacturers implement better supply-chain standards and technology. Read more
v2 ‘alt-meat’ product range cracks world’s largest market
Australian plant-based meat product company v2food, a joint venture between CSIRO, Main Sequence Ventures and Hungry Jack’s franchisee Jack Cowin, has expanded its export reach into China. Read more
Woolworths backs premium plant-based protein start-up
Australia’s ‘alt-meat’ market will soon have the locally-made base ingredients it needs to expand after Woolworths’ venture capital fund joined the investor group backing Sydney-based start-up Harvest B. Read more
Events
Managing transport system investment: risk of changing trends & uncertainty
Wed 11 August 2021 1pm AEST (11am AWST)
Hear about recent research from WA’s PATREC and the iMOVE CRC that adapted existing transportation tools and guidelines to recognise the increased need for risk management in uncertain times. Read more
UNSW Science Week: The Future of Food
16 August 2021 from 6.30pm AEST
Join food scientist and taste expert Professor Johannes le Coutre and food-loving journalist Joanna Savill as they discuss the future of food in this hour-long webinar. Read more
WSU Soil Biology Masterclass
4 & 5 August 2021 9am-4pm
Learn how to harness the life in your soils for better farming outcomes in this expert-led two-day masterclass on Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus. Read more