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(Narrator) We’ve come a long way since farming began in Australia.
But where are we heading? Can we foresee the future?
Can we plan for it?
In 1916 when Prime Minister Billy Hughes established
the Advisory Council of Science and Industry
(eventually becoming the CSIRO)
cutting edge technology in agriculture included the stump jump plough,
the combine harvester and rust-resistant wheat.
Today, researchers are developing autonomous farm machinery
and wireless farms that constantly monitor soil moisture,
plant growth or animal health.
In 1916 we were only just beginning to eat pavlova and lamingtons,
and drink coffee.
Today we are investigating meals personalised to our needs
and processing techniques that preserve taste,
texture and nutritional value like never before.
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The Australian bush has long been a managed landscape.
Well before white people arrived,
indigenous Australians engaged in systematic burning
to enhance natural productivity,
managed complex fish trapping systems
and sowed or planted food for harvest.
From the days of riding on the sheep’s back,
agriculture in Australia has evolved significantly.
Our agriculture and food sectors are now diverse, high-value and high-tech.
Innovation, ingenuity and hard work have got us to where we are today.
Australia is a leading exporter of fine food, meats and grains.
Australian agriculture has had to be adaptable
as well as resilient and inventive.
Farming has changed over the years but many of the same challenges remain:
access to fresh water, vast distances, drought,
soil fertility, pests and diseases.
In many agricultural industries,
productivity has plateaued in recent years,
making it increasingly difficult
for Australian farmers to remain competitive.
There is an enormous challenge to increase production
while lowering costs.
There are new challenges too, facing not just Australia but the world.
The world is getting hungrier.
By 2050, there will be 70% or up to 2.4 billion more people on earth,
who will need 60 to 70% more food than what’s currently available.
The world is getting wealthier
and consumers are demanding more and diverse foods.
In Asia alone, beef consumption is predicted to rise 120%.
Customers are becoming fussier.
The consumers of 2050 will expect food to be nothing less than
healthy, nutritious, clean, green and ethically produced.
Technology is transforming industries.
Advanced digital, genetic and materials science technologies
will enable farmers to improve how they produce food and fibre products.
Innovative sensory systems and data analytics
will create highly integrated ‘farm to fork’ supply chains.
Farmers will be able to make better decisions
and manage risk more effectively,
while consumers will have greater access
to trace the origins of their food.
But Australian rural industries will also require greater resilience
to withstand shocks associated with climate change,
environmental change and globalisation.
From the gene to the plate, now more than ever
we need to embrace innovation and new technologies
to meet the challenges of the future.
Working together, Australian researchers and industries
have an extraordinary opportunity to shape the way
our agriculture and food sectors operate in the coming years.
By combining our efforts, we can be at the forefront of global innovation.
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