The Australian National University (ANU) Agrifood Innovation Institute (AFII) and Cellular Agriculture Australia (CAA) recently partnered on a new event spotlighting the biotechnologies shaping the Australian food system – Made & Grown: The Future of Food.
Taking place at the ANU campus in Canberra on 21 August, Made & Grown showcased the innovators and policymakers driving the future of food in Australia.
As the food system changes, innovation and necessity are driving an evolution of food production, in both new and traditional industries. Australia is well-placed to build on its agricultural reputation to leverage global demand for more protein, functional foods and innovative consumer products.
Through the application of biotechnologies like cell cultivation, precision fermentation, plant molecular farming and synthetic biology, Australia has the potential to capitalise on a multi-billion dollar opportunity and become a global biomanufacturing leader.
Source: CAA
The Made & Grown program featured a stacked line-up of industry leaders and experts, including from biotech companies such as All G, Cauldron, Eden Brew, Magic Valley, Nourish Ingredients, Vow – all who have been making waves on the national and international stage over the past year.
Security focus
What sets Made & Grown apart as an event is the holistic approach the program takes to the food system, with panel topics covering ingredients, manufacturing, economics, supply, and security.
After an introduction to the program, the first panel was focused on the role of the bioeconomy in securing Australia, emphasising the critically intertwined nature of national security and future food.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute deputy director national security programs, Raelene Lockhorst, highlighted the number of vulnerabilities in the food supply system, and stressed the need to diversify and build sovereign capability in a time of strategic uncertainty.
“Our motto is an economically prosperous Australia is a secure Australia – we think that food security is an enabler of national security. Defence is preparing for an era of strategic uncertainty, and our food systems have to do the same,” said Lockhorst.
“The failure of food security has internal ramifications in Australia. Failure to provide food, which comes down to our logistics and our supply chains, can have significant impacts, particularly in remote and regional communities. Our trade routes are the biggest vulnerability that we have at the moment.”
Lockhorst mentioned the federal government announcement in March, investing $3.5 million to start development of a national food security strategy and council, but emphasised that there had already been a decade of numerous papers, federal reviews, industry reviews, and inquiries into food security.
“We hope that this will bring some coordination efficiencies – because we don't have another 10-15 years to wait. We need to diversify, we need to build our sovereign capability now, because the world is changing, and it's changing at a rapid rate.”
As geostrategic circumstances remain uncertain, the necessity of stronger calls to action to secure the future food systems of Australia is clear.
Source: CAA
Tastings and outcomes
Over 150 attendees participated in Made & Grown, forging new connections across government, industry, and research.
The day even included tastings of some of the biotech companies' innovative products, with cultivated meat canapés from Magic Valley and Vow, and chocolate from Nourish Ingredients, featuring its precision-fermented Creamilux fat.
Cellular Agriculture Australia chief operating officer, Joanne Tunna, moderated several panels throughout the day, and said Made & Grown was about action from the outset, and it delivered.
“The event was not only insightful, but a catalyst for tangible outcomes – from a joint policy submission on food security with the ANU Agrifood Innovation Institute, to Cellular Agriculture Australia stepping up to lead government engagement on a unified sector vision,” said Tunna.
As Australia continues to lead the way in biotechnologies like cell cultivation, precision fermentation, plant molecular farming and synthetic biology, legislators, policymakers, and regulators must work in step with innovators to guide the nation’s food system into the future.
This article first appeared in the August/September 2025 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.
