Food Integrity and Biosecurity

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Applications for RIRDC funding for 2008-09 are now CLOSED
Click here for information on the application process, and to apply for RIRDC scholarships

Objective:

To support innovation in agriculture and the use of frontier technology to meet market demands for accredited sustainable production.
Research Manager: Jane Fisher - Phone (02 ) 6271 4149, Email: jane.fisher@rirdc.gov.au

RIRDC Food Integrity and Biosecurity Research Results:

Publications for sale Free downloadable research reports

Free Short Reports (research sumaries) Five-year Industry Plan NEW

Completed Projects in 2006-2007 & Research in Progress as at June 2007

Handbook of New Industries entries Agfacts(factsheets)

About the RIRDC Food Integrity and Biosecurity Research Program:

Key program strategies Background

Strategies for 2007-2008 Expected key outputs in 2007-2008

New projects funded in 2007-2008 Research budget 2007-2008

Industry related links:

Key long term strategies

The research objectives of the program are to:
Enable Australian agricultural industries to optimise investment in surveillance for biosecurity and food integrity on and off farm.
Address the risks posed to agricultural industries and human health from peri-urban production, regional production and alternative distribution networks.
Develop biosecurity and food integrity management tools for RIRDC industries.
Assist RIRDC industries meet national and international market demands by improving their ability to track and trace their products.
Extension and communication of research.

Background
There are many players on the food integrity and biosecurity stage, however, the Food Integrity and Biosecurity (FIB) Five-year plan has identified that there is a clear niche for RIRDC’s program in the area of new and emerging industries, and peri-urban agriculture. A number of serious, exotic pests have been identified in Australia in the last five years that threaten both Australia’s agricultural industries (eg cane smut and citrus canker) and biodiversity (eg fire ants). There are many more potential pests and diseases that threaten our shores and that may become pests in the future. The FIB program will contribute to developing general surveillance strategies, and to countering issues specific to RIRDC industries, and to peri-urban agriculture.

Key Strategies for 2007–08

Assess the risk posed to industry and human health by peri-urban producers and alternative distribution systems (such as farmer’s markets).
Develop a framework for or a generic approach to codes of practice for on-farm biosecurity and food integrity that promotes step-wise improvement.
Scope the likely future market demands for track and trace and communicate to small industries on their need to address these issues in their industry. Develop/identify and adapt technologies to support track and trace systems that will be effective in small industries.

Expected key outputs for 2007–08

Assessment of the threat that rice blast poses to the Australian rice industry completed
Development of techniques of infrared and raman microspectroscopic analysis of food, enabling rapid analysis of large quantities of food for foreign matter, an invaluable tool in the event of bio-terrorism.
Publication of the research report on Assessment and communication of risk in agricultural quarantine issues

New projects being funded or under consideration in 2007–08 include:

Project No	Title	Researcher	Phone
	Tracking and tracing systems for small business biosecurity	Dr Christine Storer	08 9690 1565
	Workshop: Responding to the impacts of climate change on biosecurity	RIRDC

Note: An asterisk (*) indicates that the Corporation is still to finalise amendments to the project.

Research Budget: $393,292

AgFacts - Agricultural information from around Australia

In an effort to bring you the latest and most comprehensive collection of agricultural information from around Australia, we have compiled this list of links to fact sheets produced by State agricultural departments and research agencies. Each agency retains full copyright and we ask you to respect that copyright and to contact each organisation before using their material for other than personal, educational or any other fair dealing purpose.
Rice: long grain, aerial sown (NSW Agric)
Rice: medium grain, aerial sown (NSW Agric)
Rice: medium grain, sod sown (NSW Agric)