About

Pacific Agrifood Futures is a three-year (2023-2025) CSIRO initiative to build collaborations and networks between Australian and Pacific knowledge systems to respond to the two biggest food system challenges in our region: climate and health.

The Pacific plays a critical role in the global food system, but our region faces growing challenges associated with a changing climate, rising rates of non-communicable diseases and disruptions to food value chains.

Australian and Pacific scientists have been working in partnership for decades to address many of the challenges we face together as a region.

Moving forward, we will need to harness our collective knowledge and innovation and take a whole of system approach to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all and to shift towards sustainable and resilient food systems.

Ocean front with palm tree

Our aim with Pacific Agri-Food Futures is to:

  • Provide the foundation for strategic, long-term collaborations and partnerships.
  • Strengthen connections between Australian and Pacific knowledge systems.
  • Find new ways for CSIRO’s knowledge and technology to help address food systems challenges.
  • Strengthen the resilience of agrifood systems in our region to emerging and intersecting disruptors.

Our investment through Pacific Agri-Food Futures will:

  • Use systems analysis to identify challenges and opportunities based on priorities of Pacific countries.
  • Develop ways to bring together people from across the food system to collaborate and co-develop solutions.
  • Trial new or novel knowledge and technology to learn how Pacific countries can inclusively and sustainably respond to complex challenges.
  • Explore how the breadth of CSIRO science and capability can contribute to collaborative solutions that are multi-disciplinary, co-designed and disruptive.
  • Incorporate traditional knowledge, and social inclusion into our research.
  • Develop responses to emerging disruptors, including climate change and natural disasters, and changing markets
  • Support the Australian Government’s commitment to Pacific engagement.
  • Systematically co-develop learning processes that capture lessons about what works and what does not work in different contexts.

Learn more about Our Approach with Pacific Agrifood Futures.