A new white paper from Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) calls for coordinated investment in food production, manufacturing capability and supply chain resilience as the country prepares to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Released on 30 April 2026, Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games is the third white paper from FaBA’s Innovation Pathways Program, drawing on a roundtable of more than 80 industry, government and academic leaders to map the food supply chain challenges and opportunities the Brisbane Games will create.
FaBA director, Dr Chris Downs, frames the event as a test of the sector’s capacity to innovate at scale. In his foreword, Downs points to artificial intelligence as a technology that will underpin food production, distribution and experience by 2032, noting that AI will have a role in demand forecasting, safety assurance, personalised nutrition, accessibility and real-time information delivery.
Downs argues Brisbane 2032 can accelerate a more inclusive, sustainable and technologically enabled food future for Queensland and Australia, but only if industry, government, researchers and communities come together around a shared purpose.
“This White Paper demonstrates what can be achieved when industry, government, researchers and communities come together with a shared purpose. The Games provide a catalyst – not only to deliver world class food experiences but to accelerate a more inclusive, sustainable and technologically enabled food future for Queensland and Australia,” Downs said.
Innovation Pathways Program lead professor and editor, Janet McColl-Kennedy, frames the report as a catalyst for collaboration. Writing in her introduction, she describes provision of food and associated services – during the Games and beyond – as critical to creating an enduring legacy for the region and for Australia.
“Feeding the Brisbane 2032 Games is far more than a catering challenge – we want to showcase Queensland’s clean, nutritious and distinctive produce. The Games are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to highlight Australian innovation, strengthen supply chains and deliver a legacy for how food is produced, distributed and experienced,” McColl-Kennedy said.
Production capacity and climate risk
The white paper identifies food production as the foundation of the entire Olympic food system, and flags supply security as its most pressing vulnerability.
The report notes that delivering large volumes of fresh and processed foods within the Games’ narrow operational window – while maintaining supply to domestic and export markets – presents a significant logistical and financial challenge for producers already contending with rising input costs, climate variability and workforce shortages.
Climate risk features prominently, with Queensland’s agricultural regions identified as particularly vulnerable to heat stress, intensifying rainfall and evapotranspiration pressures.
The paper says sustainable sourcing expectations for the Games will require producers to accelerate adoption of water efficiency measures, soil stewardship and low-emission technologies at a scale that requires time, training and stable investment many producers currently lack.
The white paper identifies five legacy opportunities for the agri-food sector:
- Catalysing investment in climate-resilient and regenerative production;
- strengthening Indigenous-led enterprises and native food supply chains;
- building regional infrastructure and workforce capability;
- enhancing domestic and export market positioning; and
- supporting integrated producer networks that remain active beyond the Games.
Among the more concrete proposals, the chapter recommends an ‘Olympic Traceability Cloud’ linking growers, certifiers, caterers and venues via live dashboards for food safety flags, allergen control, sustainability metrics and menu forecasting.
It also calls for a ‘Southeast Queensland Olympic Food Hub’ to deliver HACCP-ready processing lines, rapid-test labs and cold-chain consolidation for smaller producers.
Tropical Fruit Direct category manager, Glenn Pereira, said, “By aligning producers, processors and caterers immediately using actual Games demand and product information; facilitated with data democratisation and digital traceability, we can deliver locally grown, manufactured and branded world class food with 100 per cent local provenance at Olympic scale. This will give us local legacy on the worldwide stage.”
Manufacturing as a legacy asset
Chapter 2 positions food manufacturing not as a delivery mechanism but as a legacy asset.
The chapter notes that Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing sector is already the largest component of national manufacturing, contributing significantly to GDP, employment and exports.
It argues that Brisbane 2032 arrives at a critical juncture where strategic alignment between government, industry and research can build systems that are competitive and export-oriented well beyond the Games.
Roundtable participants identified a complex set of challenges:
- high and rising energy, labour and logistics costs;
- regulatory complexity across overlapping state, national and international frameworks;
- workforce shortages in both operational and advanced technical roles; and
- infrastructure constraints in cold storage, warehousing and transport.
Regional manufacturers, while well positioned to contribute to Games supply chains, face additional connectivity and infrastructure barriers.
The chapter also flags a less commonly discussed planning risk: exponential technological change. It warns that AI capabilities are evolving at a pace that makes planning based on incremental improvement inadequate and argues that manufacturing systems being designed today must be adaptable to levels of intelligence, autonomy and integration far beyond current norms.
On the opportunity side, the chapter highlights Australia’s distinctive food culture – premium seafood, grass-fed meats, tropical fruits, and Indigenous ingredients such as wattle seed, lemon myrtle and finger lime – as a point of international distinction that the Games can leverage through limited-edition, high-value product development.
It points to Australia’s existing track record in on-the-go nutrition formats, including protein bars, smoothies and functional beverages, as a foundation for Olympic-scale manufacturing innovation.
Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council GM, Dr Katherine La Macchia, said, “We are seen as a green, clean and sunny country worldwide. Manufacturers should have pride in their produce. The unique climate of Australia offers us a good advantage.”
Smart manufacturing and digital integration are identified as priority areas, with the report calling for broader adoption of automation, robotics, AI agents, digital twins and IoT-enabled monitoring systems.
It points to CSIRO’s Shelf Stable Food Program and the Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation project as existing capability platforms that Games demand could accelerate.
Sustainable and smart packaging – including QR codes, GS1 Digital Links and biodegradable materials – is also highlighted as a tool for traceability, allergen management and provenance storytelling.
The chapter draws on international precedent to make the export case, noting that UK food and beverage exports increased significantly following the London 2012 Olympics as brands secured new international contracts.
It warns against short-termism, arguing that without clear post-Games commercial pathways, manufacturers may treat Olympic-linked investments as stranded assets.
Seven recommendations include prioritising Australian-made products in procurement frameworks, establishing co-investment models for manufacturing scale-up, streamlining regulatory pathways for Indigenous ingredients and allergen labelling, and positioning Brisbane 2032 explicitly as a launch platform for export growth.
Logistics, waste and infrastructure gaps
The paper takes a systems view of logistics, policy and food waste, arguing that investments in transport and waste infrastructure – including composting facilities and recycling stations – as well as technology and education, are critical to preventing strain on local economies and the food supply chain during Games time.
It stresses that waste must be managed sustainably and ethically, with planning that integrates circular economy principles from the outset rather than retrofitting them.
The white paper was produced under the editorship of Professor Janet McColl-Kennedy and carries 57 recommendations across its eight chapters. It is available to download via faba.au.
