Future Food Systems

19/10/2026

Katherine Keane is a Future Food Systems-supported PhD candidate from QUT (Queensland University of Technology), supervised by Associate Professor Hope Johnson. Katherine’s doctoral studies delve into governance of the food relief sector in Australia, with a focus on governmental obligations to fulfil the human right to adequate food.

In August, team sat down with Katherine to discuss the current state and drivers of food insecurity in Australia, her research and collaborations, the policy and governance changes needed to strengthen food relief along with the impact she hopes her work will achieve.

You can catch our full interview with Katherine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZzMMclqvkI


QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

18/10/2026

Thanks to the team at Western Sydney University, School of Science for hosting us at the Hawkesbury campus last Friday, as part of their World Food Day extravaganza.

An initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Day is celebrated annually on October 16, with this year’s theme ‘Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.’ – focussing on how to overcome global challenges and ensure access to reliable, affordable and nutritious food for people everywhere.

Future Food Systems is focussed on its role to drive collaborative efforts, with partners including Western Sydney University, on the development of resilient and sustainable food systems.



ANSTO Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council

14/10/2026

Developing dwarfing rootstocks to assist growers in managing their fruit trees.

Dr Leena Thung is a scientist in the field of Plant Molecular Biology and Plant Biotechnology at QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and is the Project Leader on the FFS-supported project with the Bioeconomy Science Institute, titled ‘Re-shaping horticultural systems using gene edited rootstocks’.

In the following video, Leena reflects on her career journey and research highlights, her role as supervisor to PhD candidate Shehani Malka, her current Future Food Systems project, the challenges it aims to address, the importance of research and industry collaboration and the potential benefits and future applications of her work for Australia’s horticulture sector.

https://youtu.be/I1WBACq5cJ0?si=o8GcCJNtFCJj-HSB

Discover how Dr Leena Thung from QUT is using CRISPR gene editing t...

13/10/2026

Developing electrochemical systems capable of producing hydrogen peroxide onsite at farms. Thanks to Dr Ding Zhang, founder of EcoPeroxy, and Dr Qiyuan (Jonny) Li from UNSW School of Chemical Engineering for taking the time to chat about their roles in the FFS-supported project - “Onsite hydrogen peroxide generation for sustainable future farming”. The team discussed the key objectives of the project, research process, collaborations and much more.

Keep an eye out for the full video coming soon.

11/10/2026

Collaboration: the common thread behind every successful innovation. Louise Tran is the Head of OzHarvest Ventures - the social enterprise arm of OzHarvest that creates commercially viable products that generate revenue to support the charity’s mission while tackling food waste in new ways.

Engagement Manager, Luke McQuillan, sat down with Louise to talk about her pathway to OzHarvest, tackling food insecurity through collaborative and innovative efforts, reducing food waste, product development through the Oh! brand and much more.

View the full article here: https://www.futurefoodsystems.com.au/louise-tran-driving-purpose-through-innovation-and-collaboration/

Louise Tran shares how OzHarvest Ventures turns surplus food into purpose-led products that reduce waste, fund meals and drive circular economy innovation.

08/10/2026

A research adventure in Italy. PhD candidate, Shubhra Shekhar, recently travelled to Cagliari (Italy), to attend the IEEE CAFE Conference on AgriFood Electronics and present on his research project titled: 'Non-Destructive Ultrasonic Monitoring of Spoilage Induced Changes in Plant-Based Soy Milk'.

Supported by , Shubhra works under the supervision of Associate Professor Chun Tung Chou (School of Computer Science and Engineering, UNSW) and Dr. Francisco Trujillo (School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW), working with academics from the School of Computer Science and Engineering, the School of Chemical Engineering at UNSW Sydney and collaborating with researchers from Sanitarium Development and Innovation.

Keep up the great work!



UNSW School of Chemical Engineering Sanitarium Health Food Company AU

07/10/2026

Shining a light on collaborative impact. representatives, Luke McQuillan and William Ngo, had the honour of attending the Food Agility Congress in Canberra yesterday. The event, held at Hotel Realm, brought together leaders from across Australia’s agrifood sector to celebrate a decade of innovation and explore what comes next.

Discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector’s future, from climate resilience and food security to supply chains, market access and the role of data and digital technologies, whilst shining a light on the collective achievements.

Well done to the Food Agility team for hosting a great event and for all of their fantastic work over the past 10 years.



Food Agility

07/10/2026

That’s another round of PhD completions to add to the books. Congratulations to Dr Andrew Tilley, Dr Onyemaechi Obiazikwor and Dr Odgerel Bumandalai on their recent graduations from Murdoch University.

Well done to you all on this magnificent achievement!

Murdoch University

05/10/2026

Circular building materials from agricultural and desalination waste. Natalie Aaron is a Future Food Systems-supported PhD candidate from UNSW, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Jason Scott.

At the 2026 Future Food Systems ( ) Research Showcase, Natalie discussed her research collaboration with industry partner, EcoMag Limited, on the 'Circular economy framework to manufacture sustainable construction materials from agri-food wastes' project.

View her full presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF1YJTqtmMA

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UNSW

Natalie Aaron is a Future Food Systems-supported PhD candidate from...