Agriculture

Roadmap to put uniquely Australian protein onto global menu

A new roadmap by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, shows how Australia can serve up a wider range of high-quality protein products to feed the world’s growing population and help capture a $13 billion market opportunity for all types of protein. The report ‘Protein: A roadmap for unlocking technology-led growth opportunities for Australia’ also outlines how Australia could create up to 10,000 jobs and become a global leader. With an expected two billion extra people on the planet to feed by 2050, coupled with changing tastes and dietary preferences, the world is going to need to produce more protein, more sustainably and from more sources. Growth opportunities include new plant-based products, turning lesser cuts of red meat into value-added protein powders and nutraceuticals, developing higher-protein and better tasting legume crops, creating a new sustainable industry in Australian white-flesh fish, and exploring non-traditional forms of protein like cultivated meat and edible insects. CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Larry Marshall, said Australia’s strong history and global reputation in agriculture and food present a big opportunity for future growth. “As protein demand grows and new consumer trends emerge, solutions from science can help create new markets and complement our existing, globally competitive traditional markets. This will help shift Australia’s reputation from being the world’s food bowl of commodities to becoming a global delicatessen of unique higher value exports,” Dr Marshall said. “CSIRO’s Future Protein Mission recognises the scale of this challenge and brings together a wide network of partners with the latest innovative technology to seize this opportunity for a resilient and sustainable food system. “We can supercharge growth in our traditional protein industries by harnessing technologies like digital traceability and integrity systems that enhance the premium status of Australian red meat, and grow new complementary protein markets through techniques like precision fermentation to […]

Human activity driving global plant evolution

Urbanisation is changing the evolution of plants in cities worldwide, new research shows. Global Urban Evolution Project (GLUE), a ground-breaking study involving Lincoln University ecology senior lecturer William Godsoe, has found the clearest evidence yet that white clover is frequently evolving in cities all over the planet as a direct response to environmental changes caused by human activity. Humans constantly re-shape the environments where they live, dramatically altering ecosystems, with cities being among the most profoundly transformed environments on Earth. The collaborative project, led by evolutionary biologists at Canada’s University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), can be used to help better conserve rare species and allow them to adapt to urban conditions, while preventing pests and diseases from adapting to the same environments. The scientists chose to study white clover, as it is one of the few organisms present in almost every city in the world, providing a tool to understand how urban environments influence evolution. However, the implications reach far beyond the humble clover plant. Dr Godsoe said Christchurch was one of 160 cities surveyed by the scientists to understand how urbanisation shaped the evolution of clover. “In a global sense, the study showed that environmental conditions in cities tend to be more similar to each other than to nearby rural habitats, and Christchurch was no exception. “White clover typically produces hydrogen cyanide, both as a defence mechanism against grazing animals and to increase its tolerance to water stress. “However, when it grows in cities, it typically produces less of it, due to repeated adaptation to urban environments and the lack of herbivores and water stress in these areas.” In that regard, downtown Christchurch could be deemed more comparable to downtown Tokyo than to surrounding Canterbury farmland and forests. Dr Godsoe surveyed 40 sites between Moorhouse Ave and the […]

Animal agriculture ‘essential to global food system’

Animal foods can form part of a healthy, sustainable and ethical lifestyle, despite increasing claims to the contrary, says Lincoln University Professor of Livestock, Pablo Gregorini. His recent article, Animal source foods in healthy, sustainable and ethical diets – An argument against drastic limitation of livestock in the food system, is sparking discussion worldwide, including from members of the US National Academy of Sciences. The paper argues that animal foods are evolutionarily appropriate and healthy for humans and points to evidence that livestock farming is integral to the overall agricultural system, contributing to biodiversity and improved plant food production while creating food security and a path out of poverty for some. However, many in the urban West deem animal foods universally unhealthy, unsustainable and unethical, which Prof Gregorini said ignores the complexity of the food system. “Whether any food production system is harmful or benign is extremely nuanced and depends on differing geographical and cultural factors. But mainstream – and mostly Western – narratives seem to want to simplify the global reality,” he said. According to the paper, animal foods “offer a wide spectrum of nutrients that are needed for cell tissue development, function, health and survival”. “Various public health institutions worldwide are now advocating moderate to heavy restriction of red meat, processed meats and saturated fats, but the scientific debate is not settled,” Professor Gregorini said. “The evidence has been challenged by various scientists, both for red meat and saturated fat, the latter of which is not exclusive to animal foods.” High red meat consumption in the West is associated with several forms of chronic disease, but these associations remain weak in other cultures or when red meat is part of a wholesome diet, he said. “The link between red meat and disease is especially obvious in North America […]

Fonterra, NZX and EEX enter GDT partnership for future growth

Fonterra has agreed a strategic partnership with New Zealand’s Exchange (NZX) and the European Energy Exchange (EEX) to each take ownership stakes in Global Dairy Trade (GDT) alongside the Co-op. Subject to the approval of Boards, clearance from European or any other relevant competition law authorities, and finalisation of transaction documentation, the partnership is expected to be completed mid-2022, with Fonterra, NZX and EEX each holding an equal one-third (33.33%) shareholding in the global dairy auction platform. Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell says the move to a broader ownership structure marks the next step in the evolution of GDT – further enhancing the standing of GDT as an independent, neutral, and transparent price discovery platform, giving it a presence in prominent international dairy producing regions, and creating future growth opportunities. “This is good news for our farmer owners, unit holders, and all dairy industry participants and is expected to lead to greater volumes being traded on GDT. It will bring more participants and transactions, stimulating further growth of risk management contracts available on financial trading platforms. “We all know that dairy is one of the most volatile traded commodities,” he says. “This partnership is another step in helping to manage this risk for everyone – from the farmer through to the customer at the end of the supply chain. A more liquid dairy trading environment allows for the growth of financial tools which can be used by all participants to better manage price volatility. “Our focus has been about securing the best partners, and NZX and EEX share our vision for a stronger, more liquid auction platform that benefits all involved. We are also closely aligned on future possibilities for GDT as the world’s most trusted reference point for dairy commodity prices.” NZX Chief Executive Mark Peterson says the price […]

How agriculture is harnessing tech in attempt to secure our future

In a new series of Follow the Food, sponsored by Corteva Agriscience™, BBC World News and BBC.com journey across the globe to find out where our food comes from and how farmers and food-producers are working with innovation and technology to find solutions to the profound challenges of population growth and climate change. Presented by renowned Ethnobotanist James Wong, the series will analyse what farmers, scientists, tech innovators and consumers have learned from the recent shock to the food chain caused by the pandemic and discover how they’re reimagining the global food system to deal with food insecurity and the climate crisis. From discovering how one dairy giant makes use of AI and 3D imagery to increase livestock yield, to how biofortification can help eradicate hidden hunger through cutting-edge plant breeding, Follow the Food takes audiences on a journey from farm to fork. James Wong, ethnobotanist and presenter of Follow the Food, said: “Now more than ever we need a rational, evidence-based discussion about the role food and food production plays in avoiding both humanitarian and environmental catastrophes. In this new series of Follow the Food, we explore and explain some of the solutions on the table, unpacking them so that everyone can understand the knock-on effects of what we produce, purchase and consume.” The multi-platform series includes eight half-hour programmes on BBC World News and eight in-depth articles on BBC Future. Each story brings audiences insights into what we’re eating, where it came from and how it was produced, visiting experts across the world.

Where’s the meat? Employers and governments should have seen this supply crisis coming

Ema MoolchandPhD Candidate, RMIT University Shelley MarshallAssociate Professor and Director of the RMIT Business and Human Rights Centre, RMIT University Australian Day barbecues are under threat as Omicron infections continue to cripple meat-processing operations. Most off the menu are chicken dishes. Australia’s biggest poultry processor Ingham’s (with a 40% market share) has had to stop producing some items and curtail production of others. It’s affecting clients such as KFC, and supermarket meat shelves are largely bare. The Australian Chicken Meat Federation said last week breast fillets, drumsticks and chicken wings will be hard to find for at least several weeks. The response of employers and government has been to relax health protocols for meat workers, reducing isolation times and keeping them on the line if they have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19, or indeed even if they have the virus themselves. Teys Australia told COVID-positive staff at its Naracoorte beef abattoir in South Australia on January 9 they were required to work “as normal unless you are feeling unwell”. The Australian Meat Industry Employees Union warned this would see all 400 workers at the site infected. Woolworths, concerned about the bad look, suspended supplies from the abattoir (which resumed last week). This crisis in the industry was entirely predictable. Employers and the government should have seen it coming. Now, having failed to pursue reforms that could have helped mitigate it, they are grasping at quick fixes that compound the underlying problem. It’s as if nothing has been learned from the outbreaks of COVID-19 in meat-processing facilities in Australia and elsewhere since 2020. Meat works as transmission hotspots In 2020, meat-processing facilities ranked alongside cruise ships and health-care facilities as hotspots for COVID-19 transmission in Australia. Abattoirs were the major initial source of infections for the June infection wave in Melbourne that led to Victoria’s 112-day […]

Fifth generation Australian farming family launches story & recipe book Sharing their story of resilience, heartbreak and passion for real food. After the enduring heartbreak of the worst drought in Australian history, relief was on it’s way in the form of rain, but the storm turned to hail destroying 4 million avocados along with hopes and dreams. When things seemed that they could not get any worse, bushfires struck and the real fight to save their farm began. Julia Foyster grew up in Germany. Twelve years ago she decided to backpack through Australia with a friend. She joined ‘Willing Workers on Organic Farms’ and worked and lived with farming families in exchange for board and accommodation. She harvested coffee beans, picked, packed and sliced mangoes, worked on a horse riding farm, and eventually ended up on her now husband’s farm picking and packing avocados, mangoes and limes. A decade later they are married with two kids. In the first few years, Julia drove tractors, helped run the packing facility, helped to establish new orchards and investigated new crops to grow. Julia says: “It wasn’t until my first of many floods that I realised the severe emotional toll on my new family. Witnessing the destruction of our watermelon crop revealed what it truly meant to be married to an Australian farmer. “No one really talked about the financial loss or the emotional strain. Everyone just threw themselves into working even harder to make up for the loss. We replaced our watermelon crop hoping that we would still be able to grow another but just before we could harvest, another flood hit. “I realised it wasn’t enough for me to stand by and watch things unfold. I had to do my part to help my family financially and the idea for Tweed […]

Appointment to Milk Price Panel reflects Professorial Chair goals

Professor Hamish Gow’s new appointment to the Fonterra Milk Price Panel sits well with his role at Lincoln of being a leading New Zealand spokesperson on trade policy and global value chains. Professor Gow took up the Sir Graeme Harrison Professorial Chair in Global Value Chains and Trade in July 2021. The focus of the Chair is on excellence in research, teaching, and extension to address the challenges New Zealand agricultural exporters face in becoming integral parts of major value chains and combating behind-the-border trade barriers. Put forward by the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor for the position, Professor Gow will be the inaugural ministerial nominated independent member of the Panel, as stipulated in the recent Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill legislation. The purpose of the Panel is to provide assurances to the Board of Fonterra as to the governance of the Milk Price and the Milk Price Manual, and the proper application of the Milk Price Principles. The Panel is responsible for undertaking reviews of the Milk Price and the Milk Price Manual and supervising the calculation of the base milk price. Professor Gow has extensive research and industry experience in agribusiness innovation, strategy, and market analysis and has led market development projects in over 50 countries. He has also consulted to the European Commission, OECD, IFAD, USDA, USAID, UNIDO, FAO, World Bank, and numerous multinationals, farmers’ organisations, and governments. Dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce at Lincoln, Professor Hugh Bigsby, said the endowed chair by Sir Graeme Harrison was driven by his vision that the New Zealand food and fibre sector needed a strong, informed voice that can link education, research, government policy and industry to help inform and grow New Zealand’s exports. He said Professor Gow’s appointment would fulfil that mandate by bringing an academic […]

The Interview:George Moss, farmer

How long have you been farming? My wife Sharon and I have been farming together since 1983 and we are both from farming stock, Sharon from dairy and myself from dry-stock. We share-milked for 10 years prior to purchasing our first farm. What are you running on your properties? We have two small dairy farms running between 170 to 180 cows each plus a drystock unit running dairy replacements and dairy beef. Also leased out is some land to a forestry nursery. We retain calves on the dairy platform till 9 months old and run relatively low input systems by industry standards. How are you finding current business conditions? Climatically the extreme variations in the weather has meant that we need to be both more conservative in our approaches to feed management and more nimble on our feet. Milk prices are at record levels, which is great but inflation pressures are eating significantly into that. There has been substantial cost increases in fertilisers, fuel, wages, contracting costs and significant upward movement in interest rates. However, we are still positive about the future for our businesses and industry. How do you make improvements on your farms? We make improvements on the farm based on the concept of trying to future proof the businesses while working towards meeting changing consumer/public expectations and legislative changes. We endeavour to as a minimum to be at good practice and ideally at best practice when it comes to product quality, staff management and environmental impacts. We have a stated goal of endeavouring to design and manage our businesses to the benefit of all involved/impacted – so that is staff, environment and wider community through involvement and taxes paid through profits. By way of example, we have consciously been managing our nitrogen losses for over a decade […]

Push for young city folk to think rural

With the big OE still out of reach for many of New Zealand’s twentysomethings, a new initiative is promising to give young city-dwellers a wholly different life experience – a rural one. Think Rural is the brainchild of LGNZ’s Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ), with funding from the Ministry of Social Development. The central idea is to attract young people from cities to rural areas where there is a wealth of jobs on offer – and give them a chance to experience a new way of life, packed with adventure, excitement and opportunity. Max Baxter, Mayor of Ōtorohanga District Council, who has helped spearhead the Think Rural campaign which launched today, says that many young people living in cities have never experienced rural life, and they’ll be surprised by what they find. “The nightlife in the country is wild – and I mean that literally. Traffic jams involve ewes rather than utes. The local folk are friendly as anything. The jobs are aplenty. Housing is still cheap. Plus, young people cooped up in apartments at Level 3 might find the country life more to their liking, where the only thing in a coop is a chicken,” says Max. “From farming to forestry, being a barrister or barista, working in a deli or dentistry, there’s a host of jobs in rural areas that are crying out for fresh talent. Whether you have a PhD, trade qualifications or left school early, think rural.” Noa Woolloff, National Programme Manager of MTFJ, is 23 and no stranger to carving out his own path. After leaving school, he jumped at the chance of supporting young people to get into employment, taking up leadership roles straight off the bat. “Many people don’t give rangatahi the chance to prove themselves – and for me, getting where I […]

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