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.

Video transcript

Queensland Science AGRICULTURE and FOOD making a difference video

[Caption: Queensland Science…AGRICULTURE and FOOD…making a difference]

Professor Dean Jerry

Aquaculture and Fisheries – Head of Academic Group

College of Marine & Environmental Sciences James Cook University

The human population is rapidly expanding and one of the grand challenges we have is how to feed the population.

[Caption: Solving the world’s problems]

Professor Robert Henry

Director

Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

We are helping people to produce more food that is healthier, and our unique combination of science and technology, and a tropical and subtropical environment means that Queensland is the natural leader in this area of science globally.

Professor Saga Mundree

Director

Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

QUT

We are making crops more resilient, by making them more drought and disease tolerant. And globally we are addressing issues around nutritional security which is how can we best enhance the nutrient in crops that are exported to regions where such deficiencies and health issues exist.

[Caption: Feeding the world]

Professor Dean Jerry

Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal production industry in the world, and has a very important role in filling this requirement for animal protein into the future in more sustainable ways.

Professor Ian O’Hara

Principal Research Fellow, Science and Engineering Faculty

QUT

We need to find ways to make agriculture more profitable.

We work at QUT here on a range of technologies looking at fuels, chemicals and animal feeds from agricultural wastes

Farmers are very excited by the opportunities that we’re creating.

[Caption: Partnering for success]

Juhani von Hellens

Technical Manager

BioProton

Our company manufactures feed enzymes.

The products improve the nutritional uptake from feed and makes the whole production of food more sustainable

We partner with world class researchers like the university at QUT and bring these new products to the market.

Professor Robert Henry

Queensland science

Professor Robert Henry

Making a difference

Professor Sagadevan Mundree

Queensland Science

Making a significant difference

[Caption: Queensland Science making a difference]

[Caption: Come join us]

[Logo: ADVANCE Queensland Jobs now, jobs for the future]

[Caption: Queensland Science Making a difference]

www.science.qld.gov.au

[Logo: Queensland Government]

View Food and Agriculture video with Chinese subtitles