A Western Australian company is progressing global advances in vertical farming technology, to address the emerging food security and quality crisis with environmental sustainability at the core of its approach.

Eden Towers is currently finalising the design and development of a four-tower industrial scale, solar powered indoor farm, which will be established at the Shire of Murray’s Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct in Nambeelup.

Research and development and commercialisation efforts for the Australian first farming system, have been enabled by a $200,000 grant secured through the Precinct’s Enterprise Support Program.

The Enterprises Support Program welcomes application all year round and is available to support agribusinesses seeking to pursue business development and innovation opportunities.

The competitive grant program – a partnership between the Shire of Murray, DevelopmentWA and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development – offers up to $200,000, in a minimum dollar-for-dollar co-funding.  More...  Source:  Shire of Murray  |  Photo:  Eden Towers

Are you an Australian exporter of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) looking to break into the United Kingdom?

In this free Austrade webinar at 11 am AWST on 10 February 2022, opportunities arising out of the recent free trade agreement between Australia and the UK will be explored, and tips provided on how to navigate legal frameworks around labelling and certification to get your products to market. 

Questions to speakers can be submitted in the registration form which will be asked during a special question and answer session between Austrade Trade Commissioner Ana Nishnianidze and the UK market experts. There will not be a live question session during the webinar.  More...  |  Related: Capilano relaunches into the UK, to the world’s biggest honey eaters  |  Source:  Austrade

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, in partnership with the Seafood Exporters Association of India, invites the commercial fishing industry in WA and India to an online event next month to better understand and explore areas of harvest and post-harvest collaboration. This will include opportunities across equipment and technology transfer, skills development, training, bilateral investment and trading.

The free event on 23 February 2022 at 1pm AWST will address regional food and protein security and jointly greening the blue economies of the Indian Ocean.  WA Government and Government of India officials and industry will share their insights and discuss opportunities for WA-India commercial fisheries collaboration in harvest and post-harvest practices.

Register online now.  For further information, please contact Faith Ng'Uni at faith.nguni@cciwa.com.

This Sustainable Commercial Fisheries Collaboration in India for Food Security Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-India Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  Source and Graphic:  CCIWA

Western Australians involved in the wild-catch, aquaculture and post-harvest fishing sectors are being encouraged to attend Seafood Directions 2022 in Brisbane later this year.  Hosted by Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) and taking place from 13 to16 September, the event is the premier ideas, innovation and networking event for the Australian seafood industry.

The national forum provides an opportunity to promote the seafood industry, discuss industry and global market issues, workshop solutions, teach best practices, share knowledge, and plan for the future of the seafood industry.  Seafood Directions 2022 will tackle industry issues, from water to plate – bringing together industry leaders, innovators and disruptors from all sectors of the seafood industry.

“As we look towards a new chapter of growth for the industry it is important we have a theme that captures this – ‘One Voice, One Future’ reinforces the unity of the Australian seafood industry and the ties that bind our sub-sectors together," SIA Chief Executive Officer Veronica Papacosta said. "The seafood landscape both domestically and internationally has changed considerably since the conference was last held in 2019, and as an industry we are excited to come together at Seafood Directions 2022 and look towards our one future."

For more information, including sponsorship and exhibitor details, please contact Rosie Love at rosie@seafoodindustryaustralia.com.au.  More...  Source and Image:  SD2022

Shipping costs soared over the past year as consumers unleashed pent-up savings to buy new merchandise while the pandemic continued to snarl the world’s supply chains, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Container rates have more than quadrupled since the start of the pandemic, with some of the biggest gains concentrated in the first three quarters of last year.

The IMF says lockdowns, labour shortages, and strains on logistics networks led to shipping-cost increases and significantly lengthened delivery times, though those pressures are easing.  Global container rates began to pull back from their record in September and have since declined by 16%, mostly due to falling rates for trans-Pacific eastbound routes, the main sea link from China to the United States.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development projects that if freight rates remain elevated through 2023, global import price levels and consumer price levels could rise by 10.6% and 1.5%, respectively.

The IMF says returning to pre-pandemic shipping rates will require greater investment in infrastructure, digitalisation in the freight industry, and implementation of trade facilitation measures.  Source:  IMF  |  Photo:  Timelab Pro / Unsplash [Port of Hong Kong]