Research and Innovation
Australia’s primary industries have a strong tradition of being innovative and adaptive to new challenges. They have proven to be highly efficient and competitive in international markets. The outlook for the Australian primary industries sector is strong, with the world’s demand for food rising, driven by population growth and calls for higher quality and greater variety of food, and biofuels.
Investment in research and development (R&D) and innovation is vital for ongoing growth and improvement in the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food industries.
National spending on primary industries R&D is estimated to be over $1.6 billion per annum. Government investment (both federal and state/territory) in primary industries’ innovation:
- recognises that the large number of small producers could not gain an economic return from individual investment in R&D and that farm products are largely uniform and non-rival in nature
- acknowledges the significant intra- and inter-industry spillovers and regional and rural benefits that accrue from publicly supported R&D
- addresses important national development and sustainability objectives, such as biosecurity and natural resource management.
At the federal level, rural research and development corporations and companies (RDCs) are the Australian Government's primary vehicle for funding rural innovation. RDCs are a partnership between the government and industry created to share the funding and strategic direction setting for primary industry R&D, investment in R&D and the subsequent adoption of R&D outputs. The RDCs commission and manage targeted investment in research, innovation, knowledge creation and transfer on. In 2008-09 the total expenditure by the RDCs on R&D was around $470 million.
While RDC investments service the identified needs of industry, they also address national R&D needs through the Rural R&D Priorities (the priorities). The priorities are intended to achieve a national understanding of current critical R&D investment needs and to better target agricultural, fisheries, forestry and food industry R&D efforts. A common understanding of rural research priorities will better position Australia’s agricultural, fisheries, forestry and food industries to embrace innovations and adopt new technologies, to respond to market changes, to open up new markets and maintain a competitive edge in the face of economic and climatic challenges.
The Australian Government established a coordinating Rural R&D Council to better target and improve the effectiveness of the government’s rural research, development and extension investments. The council was appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in February 2009, as the government's independent strategic advisory body on rural research and development.
Through the Primary Industries Ministerial Council, the Australian Government works with the state and territory governments to develop a national approach for future research and development in Australia. The Primary Industries Standing Committee R&D Subcommittee is charged with looking for improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of research and development, as well as delivery and adoption, to maximise the contribution of R&D to primary industries, rural and regional Australia and the wider community. Through the Primary Industries Ministerial Council, the Sub-Committee has been developing the National Primary Industries R,D & E Framework.
The Primary Industries Standing Committee R&D Sub-Committee is made up of representatives from the respective Commonwealth, state and territory departments responsible for primary industries, research and development corporations, CSIRO and universities.
Recognising the pace of climate change and its impact on primary industries and associated rural communities, the government has committed $130 million for primary producers to adapt and respond to climate change, including significant additional funding for R&D, through Australia’s Farming Future.
Rural Skills Training and Research
The former House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry released the report of its inquiry into rural skills training and research, titled Skills: Rural Australia’s Needs on 26 February 2007. The report made 29 recommendations relating to rural skills, education and training, the regulatory framework for vocational education and training, the availability and adequacy of research, and the provision of extension and advisory services. The Australian Government’s response to the report was tabled in Parliament on 11 February 2010.
Australian Government Response to House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s report, Skills: Rural Australia’s Needs 
PDF [123kb] 
Word [161kb].
Other work relating to agricultural skills has been conducted by the Industries Development Committee Workforce, Skills and Training Working Group. This working group was established in 2008 under the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) to identify strategies to facilitate a more coordinated and collaborative approach across government and industry to address the agricultural workforce, skills and training issues.
PIMC endorsed the working group’s report Workforce, Training and Skills Issues in Agriculture on 6 November 2009. A stocktake of government and independent workforce, skills and training initiatives is included at Appendix 5 of the report. The stocktake enables users to identify potential linkages, possible duplication and gaps or opportunities for additional initiatives to improve Australia’s agricultural workforce.
Industries Development Committee Workforce, Skills and Training Working Group final report Workforce, Training and Skills Issues in Agriculture PDF [123kb] Word [161kb].
This stocktake is maintained by Agrifood Skills Australia.