Winning Australia's mounting food waste battle will provide $20bn economic benefit

17-May-2018 - Last updated on 17-May-2018 at 03:01 GMT

The Fight Food Waste CRC aims to reduce waste throug the supply chain, transform unavoidable waste into high-value co-products and engage with industry and consumers to effect change. © GettyImages

A new Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) will be launched in July to bring together industry, academics and the community to tackle the country's mounting food waste problem.

The centre aims to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain, transforming unavoidable waste into innovative high-value co-products, and engaging with the food industry as well as consumers to effect behavioural change.

“Winning this fight has a AU$20b annual prize by increasing industry profitability, tackling food insecurity and enhancing Australia’s reputation as a sustainable and trusted producer of premium food products,” stated Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA), of the State Government of South Australia, who led the bid.

The initiative falls in line with the Federal Government’s plan to fulfil its National Food Waste Strategy commitment, to halve food waste in Australia.

It is estimated that Australian households throw away almost AU$4,000 worth of unused food each year.

Senator Michaelia Cash, Minister for Jobs and Innovation, and Senator Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation, announced that the Fight Food Waste CRC had been successful in attracting AU$30m in funding from the government’s CRC Programme to form an overall resource pool of AU$133m over 10 years.

The Fight Food Waste CRC will officially open on July 1, 2018.

What the CRC can do

Under the programme, CRCs link industry expertise with world-class research capability and generate new knowledge, solve problems and offer opportunities to commercialise new ideas.

Cash welcomed the funding for the new CRC and said it had great potential to deliver economic and social benefits to Australians.

"As the Australian Government’s longest-running grant program, the CRC Programme is at the heart of our efforts to bring researchers and industry together to focus on solving industry-related problems," she said.

Seselja said the CRC Programme had a proven track record in delivering tangible benefits for both industry and the community.

"The CRC Programme continues to be central to the coalition government’s commitment to improving the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries,” he said.

"This funding will be used to identify opportunities and solutions to reduce food wastage from paddock to plate."