Who gives a FIG?

Well, actually lots of us do but it doesn't seem that the federal government is interested.

The Food Innovation Grants Programme (FIG) seems to have been quietly abandoned by the new federal government with nothing to take its place in encouraging innovation and commercialisation in Australia's food and beverage industry. This program provided matching funds to Australian food companies to undertake research and development that would improve the industry's competitiveness and performance. An independent review of the program found that it was successful in generating new industry investment in research and development well in excess of the matching grants provided and it had important flow-on benefits beyond the actual program funding. The program focused on developing industry competitiveness, efficiency and new niche market opportunities.

The food and beverage industry is Australia's largest manufacturing industry, contributing annually around $17 billion to the economy and generating an annual export income of around $24 million. The industry is also a major employer in rural and regional Australia. With these credentials you would think that the industry should be nurtured by a federal government eager to expand its employment and export potential.

However, after the election of the new government in late November last year, a notice stating "... It is clear there will be changes to this Programme [FIG] in the near future. Content on this website will be revised once administrative arrangements have been determined ..." was posted on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's Food Innovation Grants Programme website. Telephone enquiries have met with no success in finding out what is going on.

Can we assume that the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry is simply too busy to concern himself with the food industry?

In its promises for the 2007 election, the Australian Labor Party mentioned a Regional Food Industry Productivity and Innovation Program in which Labor would invest $22.2 million to assist in improving productivity, innovation and profitability of Australia's regional food producers. Unfortunately, I can find no further mention of this program, which was supposed to commence in the 2008/09 financial year, anywhere.

So, it seems that the food and beverage industry is without any innovation funding. Bit sad really when you consider the industry's contribution to the economy.