The Australian Government has announced two investments totalling almost $2.5 million to support the continued development of agricultural traceability systems across Australia.
The funding includes $1.95 million to establish a successor to the Australian Agricultural Traceability Governance Group (AATGG), and $534,791 for Standards Australia to support the national rollout of the Australian Agricultural Traceability Protocol (AATP).
Traceability systems play an important role in supporting agricultural supply chains by improving data sharing, strengthening product provenance and helping maintain access to international markets. Agricultural, fisheries and forestry exports were forecast to reach around $86 billion in 2025 to 26.
“Better traceability means better opportunities for Australian farmers,” said minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry Julie Collins.
“Agricultural, fisheries and forestry exports were forecast to reach a record value of around $86 billion in the last financial year, and our government will continue to invest in strong traceability systems that are essential to maintaining access to premium international markets.
“Consumers, trading partners and regulators around the world are placing greater emphasis on traceability, and these initiatives will help ensure Australian agriculture remains at the forefront of meeting those expectations.”
The $1.95 million grant has been awarded to the National Farmers’ Federation, which will establish a new national governance group to continue the traceability leadership and coordination previously undertaken by the AATGG.
The group will bring together government, industry and supply chain participants to support collaboration and improve traceability practices across the agriculture sector.
Standards Australia will receive $534,791 to support the national rollout of the AATP, a digital standard designed to enable consistent data sharing across agricultural supply chains.
The protocol was developed through the Data Enabled Traceability Proof of Concepts (AgTrace) project and was piloted by AgTrace Australia across several agricultural industries. It will operate as a public good without licensing restrictions, allowing businesses across the sector to participate and adopt the system.
Standards Australia will oversee governance, administration and sector wide adoption of the protocol to ensure it remains accessible and suitable for industry needs.
The investments are expected to support farmers and producers by reducing compliance burdens through improved data practices, increasing interoperability across supply chains, strengthening confidence in provenance and sustainability claims, and improving responses to biosecurity incidents.
