Summary of report: Native Foods R&D Priorities and Strategies 2007 to 2012

|| Home || SEARCH|| Contact || Free Research Publications || Eshop || Privacy Statement

Download full report (230kb - HINT: right click and save the file to your hard disk before opening)

Summary of full report

Native Foods R&D Priorities and Strategies 2007 to 2012

February 2008

RIRDC Publication No 08/022

Foreword

The Native Foods sub-program has developed as a cohesive set of projects within the New Plants Program. With the formation of Australian Native Food Industry Limited as a peak body for the industry it is timely to review the R&D plan that RIRDC has followed over the past five years. RIRDC has provided $1.65 million to 33 projects since it began in 1998, with contributions from research organisations and the industry bringing the total investment to $3.97 million. A wide range of topics have been supported, including support for the development of the industry peak body, with the majority of funding going to addressing production constraints and exploring novel uses to grow the markets for Australian native foods.

RIRDC is committed to the development of Five Year Plans for each of its Research and Development Programs in keeping with the Corporation’s Five Year Strategic Business Plan, and the National and Rural Research Priorities. This report outlines the R&D priorities and strategies for the Native Foods Industry and will inform the New Plant Products Five Year Plan.

The native food industry is very diverse and includes wild harvest as well as cultivation.

Wild harvest covers the breadth of the country from wild harvest of Kakadu plums in the north to bush tomatoes and wattle seed in the arid interior and mountain pepper in Tasmania.

Cultivation of Australian native flora is growing rapidly, again with considerable geographic diversity, from rainforest fruits in the north east of Australia to muntries, a berry, in Victoria.

The industry includes indigenous people who are involved in bush harvest and cultivation, and the rights over traditional uses are respected. The industry is united in bringing the uniquely Australian flavour experience to all consumers and in doing so create many profitable enterprises in regional areas of Australia.

This R&D Priorities and Strategies Report builds on the outcomes of a stakeholder meeting conducted in June 2007 that followed an industry planning day and involved a wide range of industry stakeholders from growers to processors, marketers and distributors. This report was circulated to all participants from the planning day for comment and input was then sought from the wider industry prior to being finalised. The report identifies key objectives for investment and areas for future consideration, detailing the agreed strategic research and development needs that RIRDC will pursue in partnership with industry. As a sub-program it focuses on priorities and on strategies that will strengthen industry engagement with R&D and best meet the diverse needs of the industry members.

The production of this report was funded by RIRDC core funds which are provided by the Australian Government.

This R&D Priorities and Strategies Report, an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 1700 publications, forms part of the New Plant Products Research and Development Program, which aims to facilitate the development of new industries based on plants or plant products that have commercial potential for Australia.

Peter O’Brien
Managing Director

Links

Last updated: February 2008
Copyright RIRDC
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NPP/08-022sum.html