Agrifood tech

Investors partner with all types of farms, startups, scaleups and enterprises. With a culture of easy interactions between industry and science, Australia has a rich pool of accelerators, incubators and industry groups. Australia conducts trials and technology testing, and promotes:

• a thriving network of research institutions dedicated to agritech
• over 20 concentrated agrifood tech hubs
• an early-adopter farming culture that spans cool climate to tropical agriculture
• government support, including R&D tax concessions
• innovators in crop and animal biotechnology — including in genetics, microbiomes, breeding and animal health.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has published a Protein Roadmap (PDF 7 MB). It identifies opportunities for investors in alternative proteins.

Australian companies have pioneered world leading agrifood tech products and technologies. We have devised new approaches to supply chain traceability, food safety and logistics. We are experts at integrating innovative technologies into practical farm-management.

• world-leading farm robotics, including drone manufacturing and control software
• innovation in nutraceuticals, alternative proteins and cultured dairy
• farm-management software, data-capturing devices, decision-support and big data

We have preferential access to key export markets in Asia via a network of free trade agreements (Source: Why Australia Benchmark Report).

Australia’s agriculture and agrifood tech sectors are a strategic industry. It’s a core part of our future as a trading nation.

• The Australian Government aims to grow our agriculture sector into a A$100 billion industry sector by 2030.
• Technology adoption is essential to this aim. This is set out in our National Agricultural Innovation Policy Statement in October 2021.
• Australia aims to become a regional hub for the development of alternative proteins.

Our leading science organisation, CSIRO estimates that alternative proteins present a A$13 billion market opportunity for Australian agriculture (Source: CSIRO – Protein. A source for unlocking technology-led opportunities for Australia, 2022. PDF 6.8 MB).

Australia’s research organisations have worked closely with farming for over 100 years. A national network of Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) funds industry-driven collaborative research programs.

• The CRC network has centres dedicated to Future Food Systems, Food Agility and Food Waste. Funding worth A$100,000–A$3 million is available for 3-year projects.
• The Australian Research Council’s Linking Projects scheme promotes national and international research and innovation.
• The CSIRO has multiple projects in agritech. They include digital agriculture and robotics.

The new Agrifood Innovation Institute (AFII) is new innovation unit within the Australian National University. It will focus on climate ready crops, biosecurity, the bioeconomy, trade and supply chains, energy transitions, emissions and climate adaptation