Improving market access
Tracing food origin
We are developing techniques using isotopes found in soil, plants and water to identify and verify food product origin and sustainability credentials. Our provenance research aims to further strengthen trust in Australian produce and grow export market opportunities.
[Animation image appears of clothes hanging on a washing line, and then the images move through to
show plate of food with utensils, and then rain falling on a sheep paddock]
Narrator: From the clothes that you wear to the food you eat, everything has an origin story. This story is known as provenance.
[Animation image changes to show four molecules appearing in the foreground of the sheep paddock image]
At the heart of tracing this story are the elements found in our plants, soil and water.
[Animation image changes to show a map of Australia pinpointing sheep, wheat, lettuce and beef
cattle growing areas]
There are many factors that influence what can grow in a particular location.
[Animation image changes to show four soil layers at the bottom, a growing wheat’s root system with rain clouds above]
Things like elevation, distance from the sea and bedrock material all affect soil condition and water availability.
[Animation image changes to show a male using a tablet in the foreground of a sheep paddock, and
then the animation image changes to back to show soil layers, growing wheat and rain]
This in turn influences land management practices.
[Animation image shows a tablet with Australia’s weather appearing on the left and arrows forming a
circle on the right]
Land management cycles back to effect soil condition and water availability, creating a continuous loop.
[Animation image changes to show the cross section of soil layers with growing wheat, and then
animated image changes to show a sheep with molecule symbols appearing in the foreground]
All of these influences leave their mark in the form of elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and strontium. These elements are the building blocks of plants, soils and water.
[Music plays and animation image changes to show soil layers, and then molecules appear and move to different parts of the landscape image forming an anti-clockwise loop to a sheep eating grass]
By comparing the neutrons of these elements, scientists can observe and measure the changes. The naturally occurring differences in these elements are known as stable isotope ratios.
[Animation images move through to show a flock of sheep eating grass, molecules appearing next to
one sheep, and then a map of Australia with a sheep and molecules pinpointed]
When we look at our sheep, examining where she lives and what she eats and drinks, we find a unique elemental signature that is specific to her origin.
[Animation images move through to show three balls of yarn, chops and vegetables on a dinner plate between utensils, and then a yoghurt tub with two milk bottles]
This unique signature is also retained in the products derived from the sheep.
[Animation image changes to show a signal path from a sheep’s ear tag to a satellite above, and then the animation image changes to show the CSIRO logo on a computer screen, and text bubbles appear: GPS Data, Water Analysis, Soil Analysis, Latitude Longitude]
By collating this isotope data and combining with other information like GPS data from Geotags worn by livestock, we can create accessible and trusted verification tools that can tell us where our food comes from and how it was grown.
[Animation images move through to show ticks appearing in the foreground of a farmer looking at a
tablet and grazing sheep, yarn, a female looking at clothes, vegetables, and a hand holding the Earth]
This information can be used by agriculture, industry, manufacturers and retailers to provide confidence in the source of our produce and in Brand Australia and confidence in the environmental impact and sustainability of our agricultural industry into the future.
[Animation image changes to show rain on a paddock of grazing sheep with a female and a male looking at a tablet]
These verification tools have enormous potential to transform the food system with shared benefits for public good, research and commercial outcomes.
[Animation images move through to show wool threads, a presenter, a university building, a
researcher, a CSIRO computer, and colleagues looking at a tablet and grazing sheep, and text appears:
GPS Data, Water Analysis, Soil Analysis, Latitude Longitude]
Use cases from industry, peak bodies, universities and other research organisations will help to inform how these verification tools will be developed and operated in a way that is relevant, accessible and serves the needs of different sectors.
[Animation image changes to show a four-way split screen showing a hand with conical flask above
molecules on the left, and then an ear tag in a sheep’s ear above a satellite on the right]
With these new verification tools, CSIRO is making provenance easier to find.
[Music plays as image changes to show the CSIRO logo on a white screen with text: Australia’s National Science Agency]