SA advantages
South Australia has a global reputation based on some of the highest quality food and wine. Demand for our produce is increasing due to strongly enforced safety and production standards.
The below advantages present economic growth opportunities for our food and beverage sectors. Our priority is to capitalise on these and exceed local and international expectations of our produce.
Premium offerings
Consumers are placing greater value on food and wine that delivers a sense of excellence. This may include products that:
- have attained accolades or awards
- are fresh and locally sourced
- have high nutritional value with quality assurance.
Premium applies to many segments of our food and wine industries – it is an aspirational target for the state. We are celebrated for produce such as:
- globally acclaimed wines grown from well-established vines
- superior seafood, including sought-after tuna and rock lobster
- quality grains used in international beers, pastas, and oils.
Our local businesses provide premium products direct to the consumer, including unique culinary tourism experiences. We are also known as the festival state, hosting food and wine festivals that attract international contributors and visitors.
Our capital city Adelaide is a member of the Great Wine Capitals global network, marking our place as the Australian home of premium food and wine.
Quality and safety assurance
South Australia is recognised for outstanding practises that protect our environment and industries from pests and diseases. This is outlined in the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
Food safety and integrity is also central to our agribusiness production. The state's enviable food standards are supported by an effective biosecurity system, as well as legislation that industry must adhere to:
Associated regulations cover dairy, meat, eggs, seafood, citrus, and seed sprouts.
Thanks to our rigorous biosecurity measures, SA is one of the few places in the world that is free of the vine destroying pest phylloxera. We are also the only mainland Australian state that is free of fruit fly.
South Australia's quality assurance processes give consumers and investors confidence in our food and beverage products. They also provide profitable opportunities for local producers to expand.
Clean produce
In relation to food, wine, and other beverages, clean products are:
- produced sustainably
- managed responsibly, with respect to natural resources
- humane, with the welfare of production animals a priority
- approved under food safety standards and quality assurance.
South Australia maintains healthy primary production and clean landscapes through our biosecurity frameworks. We have established natural resource management and protection plans for our air, water, soils, and biodiversity – find out more in the State Landscape Strategy.
These environmental safeguards are vital for food and wine sectors to prosper. Local producers and manufacturers are proud to say our:
- wine grapes are grown in fertile soil
- seafood is caught from clean oceans
- agricultural produce is cultivated in a pristine environment.
Innovation
SA’s focus on innovation and sustainability has helped us stay at the forefront of food technology and product development.
Much of our agribusiness success is due to scientific advances in farming systems, genetics, water use, and pest and disease management. These are delivered by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).
Collaboration
Collaboration
SARDI collaborates with the state’s major universities, government agencies, and cooperative research centres.
The University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute is Australia’s leading research, education and commercialisation precinct for agricultural science. It has the largest concentration of expertise in the southern hemisphere for:
- plant biotechnology
- cereal breeding
- sustainable agriculture
- crop and pasture breeding and transformation
- wine and horticulture
- plant and soil health
- land management.
SARDI also works with:
- the Southern Pork Alliance – ensuring the future of more sustainable, humane and profitable Australian pork
- Uncle Tobys Company – developing new oat varieties, with qualities such as higher water-soluble dietary fibre, increased hulling yield, and reduced waste
- the Australian Grape and Wine Authority – examining how the state's wine industry can grow in possible warmer and drier futures, including developing new technologies
- the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre – improving the resilience of agriculture while increasing productivity and sustainability.
