COLLABORATION Collaboration is the name of the game Collaboration is thecornerstone of MLA’sinvestment in researchand development to20-year-old Meat Standards AustraliaCollaboration is not a new approachby MLA – Michael points to the now(MSA) as an example of supply chaincollaboration delivering value to• The National Livestock GeneticsConsortium: Established in October2016 to double the annual rate ofgenetic gain in the commerciallivestock sector by 2022, the increase the sustainability, producers, processors, wholesalers consortium is governed by a skills- profitability and productivity of and retailers by addressing consumers’ based taskforce which provides a Australia’s red meat industry. expectations of eating quality. formal industry consultation platform for Collaboration removes research However, the collaboration model genetic researchers and key industry duplication, leverages available funding is now being rolled out on a stakeholders, including producers. The further and better aligns research larger scale across more areas of consortium has attracted $100 million to desired outcomes – delivering a investment, including genetics, animal in co-investment across the industry clear value proposition to partners welfare, livestock productivity and and aims to deliver an additional $400 and investors. innovative marketing. million benefit to industry. • The Livestock Productivity MLA has formed large-scale “MSA demonstrates how investment in Partnership (LPP): This collaborative strategic partnerships with research research and the commercialisation research and development partnership organisations, industry groups and of science can deliver value back to between MLA Donor Company (MDC), the private sector across agriculture producers – in 2017–18 alone, there NSW Department of Primary Industries, and other industries, such as food was an additional $152 million directly University of New England and CSIRO and technology. returned to producers’ pockets from the aims to boost livestock productivity This collaboration fast-tracks innovation,price difference between MSA and non- and develop new R&D capacity. builds capability and increases value MSA cattle,” Michael said. Eleven new research projects, worth from producer levies and external Current collaborations $35 million over five years, were funding, creating more ‘bang for the announced in July 2018. investor and stakeholder buck’. Some examples of large-scale research projects which involve cross-industry • Strategic Partnership for Animal MLA General Manager – Producer collaboration and multi-partner Welfare RD&A: MLA Donor Consultation and Adoption Michael research providers include: Company is collaborating with Crowley says working along the supply leading researchers to undertake chain and with other sectors underpins • The Rural R&D for Profit program: groundbreaking animal welfare the future of the red meat industry. This Australian Government projects and involves organisations Department of Agriculture and with a shared commitment to “By bringing together the best minds Water Resources’ initiative aims to improving Australia’s already in the business across research, the improve farm gate productivity and world-leading animal welfare practices. service sector and producers, we can profitability for Australian farmers In 2012, MLA was an inaugural deliver better value for all,” he said. through partnerships between signatory to the National Animal researchers, research agencies, Welfare RD&E Strategy and has “Collaboration accelerates Research and Development collaborated with other Research the rate of productivity Corporations, funding bodies and Development Corporations gains, which reduce and businesses. MLA co-invests in to determine what animal welfare and leads eight of the projects. For research is needed to improve cost of production and example, the ‘Advanced measurement production and profitability. shorten the time from technologies for globally competitive Australian meat (ALMTech)’ project is research to impact, which a cross-sector initiative involving MLA, Michael Crowley Australian Pork Limited, researchers, E: mcrowley@mla.com.au ultimately increases processors, producers and technology producer profitability.” providers. Another project led by MLA, ‘Forewarned is forearmed’, will equip producers and agricultural value chains with information and tools including improved seasonal forecasting to proactively manage the impacts of extreme climate events. 6