Plant & Food Research, Australia Pty Ltd

Our Mission

To create the world’s most sustainable food systems.

Who We Are

At Plant & Food Research, we believe science can create a better future. By finding smarter, greener options today, we’re helping secure the world we want to live in tomorrow.

With our partners, we use world-leading science to improve the way they grow, fish, harvest and share food. Every day, we have 1000 people working across the world to help deliver healthy foods from the world’s most sustainable systems.

New fruits, better grains, fewer chemicals, stronger biosecurity, higher yields, exciting foods, great nutrition, reduced waste.

We answer complex biological questions; we design innovative products and technologies; and we look over the horizon for new ways to grow a smart green future.

Plant & Food Research is a New Zealand Government-owned Crown Research Institute with staff situated in Australia at the Waite Research Institute and co-located at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane working collaboratively with more than 900 staff based in New Zealand. Research is conducted globally with a network of scientific collaborators, international development projects, and in-market support for customers’ international activities.

Our research in Australia focuses on enhancing production systems for Australian tree crops, such as almond, macadamia, avocado and mango. This work includes new growing systems, optimising pollination, and biosecurity research. Our Australia-based experts liaise with New Zealand-based staff as required to support research for our Australian partners, such as Hort Innovation.

We also conduct trials of new cultivars for the Australian sector, such as those commercialised through Prevar – our joint venture with Apples & Pears Australia Ltd and New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc.

Research areas

Future plants, fish and foods

• • New plant cultivars
  • Fish breeding
  • Consumer and stakeholder research
  • Health and nutrition
  • Food and ingredient formulation
  • Genetics and genomics

Sustainable resilient food supply

• • • Sensing technology
    • Total utilisation
    • Food safety
    • Soil, water and climate
    • Biosecurity and crop protection
    • Crop optimisation
    • Supply chain optimisation
    • Conservation and ecology
    • Seafood production

Blue sky science for Growing Futures™

• • Horticultural Production goes Urban
  • Open Ocean Aquaculture
  • Digital Horticultural Systems