Food and agriculture
Queensland's food and agribusiness sector is renowned for producing high-quality and safe food at competitive prices. This is supported by a strong food and agriculture research sector that is driving innovation in sustainable food production, functional foods, biofuels and more efficient farming systems.
The state’s large geographical area traverses temperate, sub-tropical and tropical climates. Queensland food and agriculture researchers therefore have the advantage of being able to research and develop a wide variety of crops and animal production systems. The Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries provides leadership for the growth and sustainable development of Queensland’s food, fibre, fishing and forestry industries and collaborates in research and development for the sector.
The Queensland Government’s Department of State Development is leading Australia’s bio-economic revolution through the Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan. Biofutures refers to the industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector including biofuels. The state boasts a combination of world-class researchers and a long-term competitive advantage in the production of key alternative fuel feedstocks such as sugarcane and grains – particularly sorghum.
Queensland has nine universities including three of Australia’s largest. Details of the 200 plus research centres in Queensland are available by searching the Queensland science capability directory.
Most Queensland universities manage major food and agriculture research programs in dedicated research institutes and centres. These research facilities include molecular biology and genomics laboratories, and a network of research stations and field trial sites from the semi-arid inland to the wet tropics.
Leading food and agriculture research
Find out why top researchers and industry leaders are saying Queensland is one of the best places in the world for food and agriculture research.
Find out why top researchers and industry leaders are saying Queensland is one of the best places in the world for food and agriculture research.
View Food and Agriculture video with Chinese subtitles
Food and agriculture research centres
Queensland has more than 100 institutes, facilities, precincts, laboratories and other research organisations are involved in the food and agriculture science sector including:
- Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC)
- Agriculture and Food Business Unit (AF)
- Animal and Marine Ecology
- Applethorpe Research Facility
- Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research (ACE)
- Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (ACIPA)
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
- Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN)
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
- Ayr Research Facility
- Bowen Research Facility
- Brian Pastures Research Facility
- Bribie Island Research Centre (BIRC)
- Bundaberg Research Facility (BRF)
- Central Queensland University - Brisbane (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Bundaberg (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Cairns (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Gladstone (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Mackay (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Rockhampton (CQUniversity)
- Central Queensland University - Townsville (CQUniversity)
- Centre for Actuarial and Financial Big Data Analytics (CAFBDA)
- Centre for Agricultural Engineering (CAE)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy (CABEN)
- Centre for Animal Science (CAS)
- Centre for Applied Climate Sciences (ICACS)
- Centre for Crop Health (CCH)
- Centre for Crop Science (QAAFI CPS)
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED)
- Centre for Horticultural Science (CHS)
- Centre for Integrative Legume Research (CILR)
- Centre for Macroalgal Resources and Biotechnology (MACRO)
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM)
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Science (CNAFS)
- Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS)
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture (CSTFA)
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research - Cairns (TropWATER)
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research - Townsville (TropWATER)
- Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
- Department of Environment and Science
- Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation (Dow Centre)
- Ecology Centre
- Ecosciences Precinct (ESP)
- Forensic and Scientific Services (FSS)
- Forest Industries Research Centre
- Gatton Research Facility (GRF)
- GeneCology Research Centre (GeneCology)
- Global Change Institute (GCI)
- Griffith University - Gold Coast (GU)
- Griffith University - Nathan (GU)
- Health and Food Sciences Precinct
- Hermitage Research Facility (HRF)
- Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences (IAESS)
- Institute for Future Environments (IFE)
- Institute for Future Farming Systems - Bundaberg (IFFS)
- Institute for Future Farming Systems - Rockhampton (IFFS)
- Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment (ILSE)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB)
- Institute for Resilient Regions (IRR)
- Invasive Plant and Animal Science Unit
- J Bjelke-Petersen Research Facility
- James Cook University - Cairns (JCU)
- James Cook University - Townsville (JCU)
- Law Futures Centre
- Leslie Research Facility (LRC)
- Life Sciences Queensland Ltd (LSQ)
- Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant (MRBPP)
- Mareeba Research Facility
- Maroochy Research Facility
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF)
- Northern Fisheries Centre (NFC)
- Oceans and Atmosphere
- Protein Expression Facility (PEF)
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS)
- Queensland Animal Science Precinct (QASP)
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct (QBP)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - CQU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - GU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - JCU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - QUT (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - UQ (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation - USQ (QCIF)
- Queensland University of Technology - Gardens Point (QUT)
- Queensland University of Technology - Kelvin Grove (QUT)
- Redden St Research Facility
- Redlands and Queensland Crop Development Facility
- Remote Sensing Centre (RSC)
- Research Computing Centre (RCC)
- Research Hub for Advanced Prawn Breeding
- Rural Economies Centre of Excellence (RECoE)
- Salisbury Research Facility
- South Johnstone Research Facility
- Spyglass Beef Research Facility
- Sugar Research Australia Limited (SRA)
- Sugar Research Institute (SRI)
- Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI)
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN)
- The Cairns Institute (TCI)
- The Chemistry Centre
- Translational Polymer Research Group (TPRG)
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
- Tropical Weeds Research Centre
- The University of Queensland - Gatton (UQ)
- The University of Queensland - Herston (UQ)
- The University of Queensland - St Lucia (UQ)
- University of Southern Queensland - Ipswich (USQ)
- University of Southern Queensland - Springfield (USQ)
- University of Southern Queensland - Toowoomba (USQ)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Fraser Coast (USC)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Gympie (USC)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Sunshine Coast (USC)
- Walkamin Research Facility