🇫🇷🇦🇺Australia-France Hybrid Webinar: Progressing Collaboration on Grains

📍 Canberra, September 9, 2025

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Co-organised by AFRAN and the French Embassy in Australia and hosted at ANU on 9 September 2025, the Australia–France Hybrid Webinar: Progressing Collaboration on Grains gathered close to 50 leading scientists, industry representatives and policy experts. Together, they discussed how French-Australian partnerships can drive innovation in grains research and farming practices.

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Moderated by Dr Jean-Philippe Ral, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Agriculture and Food, the webinar opened by highlighting the central place of grains in both Australian and French agriculture — a key sector for food security, exports and cultural identity — and stressed how collaboration between the two countries can unlock new solutions to shared challenges such as climate resilience, sustainable rotations and drought adaptation.

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The discussions first focused on advances in genetics and crop improvement. Researchers from INRAE, CSIRO and Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) presented complementary perspectives on how science can enhance yield and sustainability under increasingly variable conditions. From France, Dr Jacques Le Gouis shared insights from the International Associated Laboratory on Adaptation to Changing Environments, a joint initiative between INRAE, the University of Queensland and the University of Clermont Auvergne. The project aims to better understand genetic traits such as drought tolerance and leaf senescence to breed more resilient cereals. From the Australian side, Dr Anne Rae described how CSIRO integrates artificial intelligence, genomic prediction and gene editing to develop crops that perform under future farming environments, while Dr Tristan Coram detailed AGT’s long-term partnership with the French company Limagrain, which has led to tangible gains in genetic improvement, nitrogen efficiency and disease resistance. Together, these initiatives illustrated the scientific depth and the practical outcomes of French-Australian cooperation in plant breeding.

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The second part of the webinar turned to crop rotations and farming systems, highlighting the need to design sustainable production models in response to changing climates and market pressures. Dr David Bohan (INRAE) presented the Transform project, part of the Horizon Europe’s Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which develops region-specific crop rotations and participatory tools for farmers to visualise future scenarios. On the Australian side, industry experts such as Sarah Clarry (Australian Oilseed Federation) and Ben Morris (Field Applied Research Australia) discussed how canola and legumes are reshaping rotations, improving soil health and reducing fertiliser dependency, while Dr Jessica Hyles (GRDC) noted the growing momentum behind pulse crops, describing chickpea and lentil as “the next canola” for Australian producers.

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The final session explored how to turn research into real-world impact. Representatives from GRDC, Arvalis and the NSW Department of Primary Industries reflected on strategies for effective innovation adoption. Dr Leigh Nelson and Dr Hyles outlined GRDC’s national approach to involving growers early in the research process, supporting on-farm demonstrations and developing digital tools and genetic resources to accelerate delivery. Echoing these views, Dr Jean-Pierre Cohan from Arvalis emphasised the importance of working hand-in-hand with farmers, conducting field-based experiments under real conditions, and using multiple communication channels to ensure that innovations are “useful, usable and used.” Closing the discussion, Dr Mathew Dunn (DPI NSW) underlined that farmers are practical problem-solvers who need to see results on their own paddocks before changing practices, and that trust and peer-to-peer learning remain central to lasting adoption.

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In her closing remarks, Dr Alison Bentley, Deputy Director of CSIRO Agriculture and Food, reflected on the strong parallels between Australia and France — both being major exporters facing similar climatic, economic and environmental challenges. She pointed to the value of continued international collaboration, not only to improve crops and farming systems, but also to address broader “One Health” and sustainability goals linking soil, plant and human health.

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The webinar concluded on a positive note, reinforcing the message that collaborative science is essential to building more resilient and sustainable grain systems. By combining the strengths of French and Australian research, industry and policy communities, both nations are paving the way for innovation that benefits farmers, consumers and ecosystems alike.