From the CEO
It’s been a productive month as the team works with industry and research partners to complete a raft of new project agreements before the end of the year. New projects in the works include three with Western Australian partners, a Greenbio/QUT vertical farming initiative, and a major foundation project for protected-cropping innovation arising from scoping research done earlier in the year and meetings with protected-cropping partners. Despite progress in project formation and a generally more positive outlook for partners, the operating environment continues to be challenging. The Research & Commercialisation Committee, which comprises representatives across the CRC’s industry, government and research partners, met this month to review progress and consider the CRC’s future research roadmap. It was decided to review research priorities over the next six months and in the context of national strategies being developed by CRC partners Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL) and Hort Innovation. Meanwhile, promotion of the Industry PhD program is achieving results, with enquiries from potential scholars and industry sponsors. The program is open to both new graduates and mature-age students, and we are encouraging industry professionals to do higher study on topics directly relevant to their work as part of CRC projects.
David Eyre
CEO, Future Food Systems
InProfile
Meet Priti Krishna: sustainable cropping expert
For Priti Krishna, The Vincent Fairfax Foundation Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at Western Sydney University and lead researcher on the CRC’s Blueberry nutritional optimisation project, it’s not just about growing better crops, it’s about growing crops better.
Prof. Krishna is leading a team of crop scientists in the CRC’s collaboration with NSW DPI and industry partner LLEAF. The project is focused on exploiting blueberry plant’s inherent mechanisms to further add nutritional value to the fruit, leading to maximal health benefits and a unique market edge to Australian blueberries,” she says. “I am extremely happy and excited to work with the Senior Research Scientist Dr Sophie Parks of New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Dr Alexander H. Soeriyadi, Director of LLEAF, and talented PhD candidate Gareema Pandey to bring innovations to the industry. Read more
Education program
Over coming months, we’ll be profiling our CRC Masters and PhD students on the CRC website and in our eNews. The first of our post-graduate cohort to be featured is IT professional-turned-microbiologist Phil Thomas, now attached to the CRC’s Tomato rhizobiome project. Phil is being supervised by University of New England’s Dr Gal Winter, project lead, and is embedded with CRC industry partner and Australia’s premier greenhouse truss-tomato producer, Costa Group.
Partner news
Providence Asset Group to bring H2-backed renewable power to Victoria’s regions
Following last month’s announcement rollout of hydrogen-storage-supported solar farms across NSW, Providence Asset Group is set to erect a string of similar renewables facilities across country Victoria. Read more
Coffs Harbour City Council wins environmental award for run-off remedies
Coffs Council’s work combating the impacts of intensive-horticulture run-off from berry and cucumber operations on local waterways has been recognised in the NSW Government’s annual Excellence in the Environment Awards. Read more
Professor Jeremy Nicholson makes The Analytical Scientist’s Power List 2020
World-leading metabolomics expert and head of the CRC’s Research Program 3, Professor Nicholson is one of just 10 Australians included on this year’s six-continent, 60-strong Power List. Read more
CRCNA study finds Northern Australia’s siloed supply chains are an obstacle to economic progress
Capitalising on significant opportunities for economic development will require transforming the region’s supply chains to make them more collaborative, connected and high-tech, a CRC for Northern Australia study shows. Read more
Frozen-berry producer nets Hort Innovation Churchill Fellowship
Queensland’s Stuart McGruddy will use the Fellowship to explore how Australia’s berry industry can best deploy existing technology, expertise and know-how to capitalise on the value-adding opportunities in freezing soft berry fruits. Read more
NSW Farmers, NAB Agribusiness team up to boost farmers’ financial skills
A new agreement between NAB and the state’s peak primary-producer body aims to boost farmers’ financial skills, empowering them to capitalise on better conditions. Read more
Newsbytes
Stop spoiling fruit and veg: new supply-chain logistics tech
To minimise costly food losses in the journey from farm to fork, it makes sense to invest in logistics software, and there are now several options spanning the entire supply chain. Read more
Urban farms thrive under COVID-19
From community-tended vegie plots to high-tech vertical farms, city-based cropping ventures are thriving as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts supply chains and intensifies demand for locally grown fresh food. Read more
Blackmores dips PAW into pet-health market
After a challenging year, Australia’s iconic supplements company is poised to expand its reach in a promising new market: pet products. Read more
Events
Food in the Capital
17 Nov 2020 9.00am-4.30pm
Taking place over three non-consecutive days in 2020 and 2021, the inaugural Food in the Capital conference will focus on the key roles food production, consumption and new technology will play in helping Canberra become a fully sustainable city. Read more
Dairy Reporter webinar: Creating value-added functional ingredients
5 November 2020, 12-1am AEST (4-5pm CET)
Dairy experts from Europe and the US discuss which on-trend food and beverage products could benefit from including dairy ingredients, and what companies can do to create innovative products that resonate with consumers. Read more
Takeaways from GFI’s Asia-Pacific Alternative Protein Summit 2020
On demand
There are useful insights aplenty in the public talk sessions and post-Summit blogs from global alt-protein advocate The Good Food Institute’s inaugural APAC-focused summit. Read more