Future Food Systems CRC

A CRC project involving offs Harbour City Council and researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) will construct a detailed overview of food production in the Coffs region of NSW and explore prospects for its growth through expanding output capacity, value-adding and the informed deployment of technology. The project’s findings will provide insight into the creation of a smart, sustainable food hub and more streamlined distribution channels in the region.

The Coffs Harbour local government area, encompassing 1,174 square kilometres including 78.8 kilometres of the New South Wales Mid North Coast, is a subtropical zone with ample arable land and a mix of cool and warm ocean temperatures. The region has potential to become a productive and profitable ‘food bowl’ for the NSW North Coast region and beyond.

Right now, the agrifood sector accounts for 16.7% of employment in the Coffs Harbour LGA, adds more than $744 million annually to local coffers and is the largest producer of exports in the region.

Historically, bananas have been a mainstay of Coffs’ agriculture sector, but other foods now contribute to its agrifood economy – notably, blueberries, which comprise around 80 per cent of all regional produce and 55 per cent of the nation’s total blueberrry production. Coffs Harbour-region farmers also produce potatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, milk, seafood and livestock as well as cucumbers, tomatoes, micro-greens, avocadoes, macadamia nuts and native ‘bush foods’.

“Coffs Harbour is an agrifood paradise, with fertile growing conditions, temperate ocean environments and passionate farmers, providing a plentiful Coffs Coast harvest. From seafood to fruit, milk to greens, nuts to honey, the value of agriculture to Coffs Harbour is prominent,” says Fiona Barden, Section Leader, Industry and Destination Development for Coffs Harbour City Council.