$133 million to fight food waste

The Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) will commence operations on 1 July 2018.

The mission of the CRC is to:

• Reduce food waste throughout the value chain
• Transform unavoidable waste into innovative high-value products
• Engage with industry and consumers to deliver behavioural change.

It will bring together industry, government and research bodies to tackle the growing international problem of food waste, which is at the heart of future industry sustainability.

Headquartered at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus, the CRC will have nodes with the Reduce Program based in Melbourne at RMIT University, the Transform Program in Brisbane at The University of Queensland and the Engage Program in Sydney at the Central Queensland University campus.

The $133 million, 10-year research programs will target food waste to improve the future sustainability and profitability of the Australian food industry. Currently food waste costs Australia $20 billion per year and directly affects Australia’s reputation as a clean, green food producer.

The CRC will take a triple bottom line approach to reduce and transform food waste to improve industry profitability, tackle food insecurity and enhance Australia’s reputation as a sustainable producer of premium food products.

The CRC involves 57 participants from around Australia and overseas, who collectively raised $103 million that will be matched with $30 million from the CRC Programme. The bid was led by a committee of industry participants with coordination by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA).

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