Your work focuses on evidence-based nutrition research to promote pulses as part of a healthy diet. How do you collaborate with governments and the food industry to advise on dietary guidelines?

We have a strong collaborative relationship with research institutions and stakeholders who work across research to ensure that we are up-to-date with the most relevant information, for example, relationships with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and submission for tenders. When it comes to Australian dietary guidelines, we collaborate with food companies and the industry to form working groups to prepare submissions for governments’ calls for action, known as National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) tenders.

We are proactive in lobbying and advocating for the promotion of whole grains and will continue to do so – this positions us as a key contact and point of call whenever there is any work or movement in this area.

Have you seen much change in terms of volume consumption since you started working with governments?

The latest nationwide data that we have on consumption is from the 2012 Nutrition Survey, but there are also several research papers which show low consumption across the board.

The National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey is currently in the field, which will, hopefully, give us more consumption data, and help us track changes over time. It will also assist us as we continue to work with governments and key stakeholders in this area. We will, of course, continue to work with food industry partners, research institutions and government bodies to influence dietary guidelines, which ultimately will increase consumption.

Can you tell us about the challenges around access to funding for research and development? What is the balance between public and private sector funding?

The role of public-sector agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) investment as a starting point for innovation and productivity growth in agriculture is well understood. There have also been numerous international studies highlighting the links between long-term publicly-funded agricultural RD&E investment and agricultural productivity growth. 

However, what is less understood are the linkages between private-sector agricultural RD&E investment and agricultural productivity growth. This arises, in part, because of the shorter history of private-sector agricultural RD&E investment, but also due to the lack of clarity surrounding the motivations and the nature and extent of private-sector investment. For a relatively small and agriculturally unique market, such as Australia, the engagement of the private sector in agricultural RD&E investment is essential to maximize national agricultural RD&E efforts. 

Australia is considered to be the third-fastest growing vegan market in the world, and in 2019/20 there was approximately $154m of retail sales from the Australian plant-based sector. The Danish government, Thailand and South Korea are all now prioritizing plant proteins. How does what is happening in Australia impact these countries?

Firstly, there has been a rapid expansion of plant-based meat in Australia over the last five years, which has assisted consumers in reducing their meat intake and transitioning to a more plant-based dietary pattern. This is a category that’s growing and is here to stay. While some products are nutritious and offer high levels of fibre and protein, there is room for improvement in other products. There have been conversations to set guidelines for these products to ensure they meet nutritional standards as some of these items have been criticized.

We lobby and advocate for the presence and priority of plant-based products made of whole food ingredients to be in dietary guidelines, and we see these plant-based meat alternatives as complementary options for consumers, rather than alternatives. 

In terms of provenance, Australia is highly rated and is seen as a supplier of high-quality, natural, and trustworthy products in all markets. Australian products are known to be made in line with robust food safety standards in clean and green environments, and these are crucial attributes, especially when offering alternative proteins compatible with local cuisine, which may help countries already looking to transition to include more plant-based foods.

You are part of the Pulse Council which was recently set up under Grains Australia. Can you tell us about the objectives of the Council, what you are working on and what challenges you are facing? Does the Council plan on promoting consumption of pulses within Australia or is the main focus on increasing exports?

The role of the Pulse Council is to provide strategic advice to the Grains Australia Board on pulse industry matters including priorities and activities, strategic classification requirements, trade and market access issues relevant to specific pulse classes, and market information and education requirements.

The council will work on a new pulse classification system that brings together the requirements of our key customers and markets with what Australian growers can deliver.

When it comes to pulses in Australia, chickpeas are the most common pulse ingredient. Are companies also exploring other pulses to make plant-based foods? How can the industry steer companies in the direction of exploring other sources?

Absolutely, there is a lot of innovation happening in this space. The majority of plant-based foods on the market are made from protein isolates i.e soy, wheat and pea however, there is certainly interest from companies in using whole food ingredients. 

We encourage the food industry to think broadly when it comes to developing plant-based foods. Firstly, because each pulse provides unique nutrition properties, secondly, many are already known and consumed around the world in local cuisines, and thirdly, to deliver complementary proteins to feed the world we need to draw on all sources. We are also seeing a growing interest in fava beans, as well as chickpeas.

Food companies are also exploring lupins which are a great source of protein, high in fibre, and interestingly, 85% of the world’s lupins are grown in Australia. However, they are an allergen which does tend to hold some reservations to use. We need to raise more awareness and education around the nutritional composition of pulses, as well as more investment into product development using these ingredients.

Australia was also recently named the second most important producer of chickpeas globally, what does this mean for the industry? Will there be more attention/investment research into this area?

Regarding chickpeas, GRDC has in recent years committed large amounts of R&D funding to improve the yields and yield stability of chickpeas grown across Australia. GRDC realizes the rotational and commercial value to Australian grain producers of enhanced and more reliable chickpea production.

What are some of the climate challenges specific to Australian farming? Can you give us any information about the harvest?

The changing climate is definitely something that farmers need to factor in when it comes to their farming practices. Sustainable farming is a huge part of modern agriculture and growers across Australia are constantly adjusting the way they farm. This includes using more efficient ways to fertilize crops and adopting new methods for tracking carbon on farms; it is critical that Australian growers are well-placed to capitalise on opportunities and manage risks arising from climate policy, and that industry has a clear position on our climate and sustainability credentials. 

Many of our growers are in for an early harvest, and a lot of our eastern growers are already finished. Rains on the East Coast are causing some concerns and slightly delaying the harvest, for those that are still going. 

Most of our growers are reporting a great year for canola, and pretty good yields for wheat and other crops, but overall, many growers faced an incredibly challenging end to 2022 and a less-than-ideal start to 2023, but it’s shaping up to be a decent end to the year for most. 

You spoke at the Bridge2Food event, what did you discuss? 

My speech touched on the status of the plant-based market in Australia, and how it’s influencing what’s happening in Asia, as well as diving deeper into the diet of Australians today, where we see 1 in 3 people reducing meat consumption due to nutrition, environmental and animal welfare concerns. This is also similar to what we see in Europe and South East Asia.

We explored the benefits of plant-based dietary patterns, such as lowering the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, improving gut and mental health, in addition to the economic benefit of a potential $85.5 million of annual healthcare saving costs in the prevention of coronary heart disease.

Other governments are prioritizing plant proteins, and we are encouraging all others to do the same in their guidelines moving forward. Finally, my message to the Asian market is to think wide and consider all pulses when looking to develop plant-based products.