Emerging Industries

Moving forward, the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program will utilise two separate advisory services for the Program.

Technical Advisory Group

A Technical Advisory Group (Group) will be established to provide advice and recommendations on stakeholder project applications and outputs. This Group will involve members with a diverse range of skills. This will allow AgriFutures management to nominate specific members to assess applications and outputs based on the expertise required in each circumstance. We are looking for individuals with skillsets in the following areas:

• Animal industry experience
• Commodity production, processing or marketing
• Economics or social sciences
• Extension and adoption
• Industry development
• Innovation and agtech
• Intellectual property and commercialisation
• Native industries experience
• Plant industry experience, including grains and horticulture
• Aquatic industry experience, particularly seaweed and other algae
• Science technology or technology transfer
• Scientific methodology
• The administration of research and development
• Value chain experience

Governance Advisory Group

A Governance Advisory Group will be established to provide overarching advice on annual operational plans, investment prioritisation and risk assessment for the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program. We are looking for individuals with skillsets in the following areas:

• Governance and compliance
• Leadership
• Risk identification and management
• Conflict of interest management
• Strategic planning and prioritisation
• Financial reporting and management
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
• Commercialisation

Want to apply?

If you believe you have the skills and experience as outlined above, for either group, to contribute to the growth and development of exciting new rural industries and the future of agriculture in Australia, we want you to hear from you.

Each individual will only be eligible to hold a position in one group.

Applications for both Groups are now open. Applications close 12noon AEDT, Wednesday 9 February 2022.

Apply for the Technical Advisory Group

Apply for the Governance Advisory Group

Emerging industries are those new industries with high growth potential. Emerging animal and plant industries play an important part in the Australian agricultural landscape, they contribute to the national economy and they will be key to meeting changing global food demands.

AgriFutures Australia supports a number of emerging rural industries including native plants such as kakadu plum, seaweeds and native pepper, as well as newer additions to Australian agricultural flora such as quinoa, hazelnuts and coffee. Emerging animal industries including sea urchin, camel milk, game birds, working dogs, alpaca and crocodile have also received funding to support RD&E.

The AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program is always exploring ways to improve and ensure we are delivering the greatest impact to our industries.

As a result, the Emerging Industries Panel have endorsed a new investment plan for the Program.

The investment plan differs to previous years, as outlined below, but still provides several ways for emerging industries and their stakeholders to be involved in the Program. Our focus remains on supporting emerging industries across Australia, no matter what stage of development.

Within the new structure, funding will be divided between four different streams, each tailored to benefit emerging industries.

Grant Stream

The Grant Stream is targeted at small-medium size businesses who have an idea on how to solve a key industry issue impacting an emerging industry and could deliver it through a ‘non-traditional’ research project. For example, these could include ideas that trial a new technology to address an industry issue or work to reduce an export trade barrier.

Target Industry Stream

In 2021/22, the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program will be targeting the pomegranate, jackfruit, and insect industries for new research investment. These industries have been identified following a review of all current Emerging Industries. Further industries may be added to this list during the 2021/22 financial year.

Within this stream, there will be targeted investment calls, with research topics to be determined through industry engagement and reference to Research, Development and Extension Plans.

Development Stream

In the Development Stream, industries will work with a consultant to develop a compact business case for their industry. Industries will then be able to use this business case to promote their industry and seek investor interest.

Capacity Building

In addition, all stakeholders across emerging industries will have the opportunity to participate in capacity building programs, where relevant and appropriate.

The AgriFutures Emerging Industries team will be conducting a skills audit across emerging industries to identify any gaps. This audit will then be used to inform a tailored capacity building program that will roll out in the first half of 2022.

Open Calls

As a result of the above four opportunities, there will be no open or public call for research offered in the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program for investment in the 2021/22 financial year. The tailored streams and associated activities will offer a high level of engagement that continues to assist up-and-coming rural industries address their barriers to growth.

Earmarked as a high potential emerging industry, AgriFutures Australia is working closely with the industrial hemp industry to reach its target of $10 million annual gross value of production by 2025. Key to this goal is the establishment of a national industrial hemp variety trial (IHVT) project which seeks to better understand the hemp varieties best suited for Australian conditions. Learn more about the Industrial Hemp Variety Trials here.

Looking to diversify

Farm Diversity is an AgriFutures Australia initiative that allows farmers to search crop and animal production alternatives by type or location to discover what is best suited to their farm.

For future funding opportunities register for the AgriFutures Emerging Industries newsletter.

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