THE Federal Department of Agriculture is inviting applications for grants worth $4 million to fund projects to enhance traceability in the food supply chain, enhancing trust in Australian-grown products and boosting the competitiveness of agricultural exporters.

Australia’s reputation as a source of clean, green and safe products has helped secure a strong foothold in dynamic Asian markets seeking healthy, nutritious food.

Effective traceability systems are critical for continued access to these export markets, responding to demand from consumers domestically and internationally for greater transparency and real time convenience around the origins and safety of food in modern digital marketplaces.

An initial $4 million round of Traceability Grants Program funding is available to individuals, communities, government or private sector organisations, as well as agricultural export industries, to enhance traceability in supply chains.

The program will provide opportunities for successful applicants to carry out projects that enhance product traceability and the competitiveness of Australian produce, for example by supporting assertions around organic or location-specific production.

The Traceability Grants Program is part of the Modernising Agricultural Trade agenda announced by the Australian Government to support the target of a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030. The $7 million program will run over a minimum of two rounds from the end of 2019 to June 2023.

The Traceability Grants Program Opportunity Guidelines set out how the program will operate. The round will close 21 February 2020.

The Grants program will be managed by the Community Grants Hub which can be accessed at Assistance, grants and tenders.

Source: Department of Agriculture