Fonterra and CSIRO to Drive Sustainable Dairy Innovation

13 August 2014

Fonterra and CSIRO Join Forces to Drive Sustainable Dairy Innovation

Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd. has signed a five-year strategic agreement with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to drive innovation in sustainable farming, manufacturing, health, nutrition and consumer dairy products.

The agreement will see CSIRO applying its expertise to the co-operative’s global dairy chain using its broad range of industrial know-how and scientific capability in remote sensing, resource engineering, ecosystem, food and water to help propel Fonterra’s V3 strategy.

Fonterra Chief Technology Officer Dr Jeremy Hill said, “We intend our partnership with CSIRO to develop a range of solutions to address Fonterra's science and technology needs.”

“On-farm, CSIRO will turn their attention to herd productivity, effluent management and milk quality, and then work through our supply chain looking at processing and analytical technology, food structure and design, and consumer health benefits. We’re leaving no stone unturned to ensure Fonterra stays at the cutting edge of dairy innovation.”

Dr Hill says innovation developed from strategic partnerships with the likes of CSIRO will be crucial to meet the needs of new markets and to ensure the industry remains commercially and environmentally sustainable.

“CSIRO has developed 3D printed devices to treat sleep apnoea, soil contamination detectors and highly efficient solar technology. These technologies aren’t traditionally associated with the dairy industry, but it’s the science and thinking behind these innovations that will benefit our focus on getting more value from our farmers’milk and doing so sustainably,” said Dr Hill.

CSIRO’s Executive Director Agriculture Food and Health Maurice Moloney said that the partnership is a key component of CSIRO’s strategy to deliver research solutions for the global dairy industry and it is strongly aligned with wider food and nutrition and through-chain research strategies.

“Our expertise provides significant opportunities across the entire dairy value-chain and by connecting with the likes of Fonterra we can speed delivery to market, and hence the positive impact, of this know-how,” he said.

Concluding, Dr Hill said, “There are a many possibilities to share expertise, knowledge and know-how between our two organisations that will build on Fonterra's current strengths in dairy science and technology and the broad capabilities that exist within CSIRO. We’re looking forward to exploiting the full potential of this new partnership.”

About Fonterra
Fonterra is a global leader in dairy nutrition – the preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world’s leading food companies. Fonterra is also a market leader with our own consumer dairy brands in Australia/New Zealand, Asia/Africa, Middle East and Latin America.

The farmer-owned New Zealand co-operative is the largest processor of milk in the world, producing more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients and consumer products every year. Drawing on generations of dairy expertise, Fonterra is one of the largest investors in dairy based research and innovation in the world. Our more than 16,000 staff work across the dairy spectrum from advising farmers on sustainable farming and milk production, to ensuring we live up to exacting quality standards and delivering every day on our customer promise in more than 100 markets around the world.

About CSIRO
At CSIRO we shape the future. We do this by using science to solve real issues. Our research makes a difference to industry, people and the planet.

As Australia’s national science agency we’ve been pushing the edge of what’s possible for over 85 years. Today we have close to 6,500 talented people working out of 58 centres in Australia and internationally. Our people work closely with industry and communities to leave a lasting legacy. Collectively, our innovation and excellence places us in the top ten applied research agencies in the world.

ENDS

© Scoop Media