Agriculture is facing current productivity challenges in terms of managing pests and diseases, which will significantly increase within the next decade. With a general decline in productivity growth and changes to external factors in managing weed, pest and disease risk, Australia more than ever requires access to new and safer pesticide and veterinary medicines. The plant and animal industries are all facing significant emerging biosecurity threats and being impacted on by pesticide resistance. Australia is no longer on the global priority list for pesticide and veterinary medicine commercialisation as it was 20 years ago.

Australia more than ever requires access to new, safer pesticides and veterinary medicines. Australian agriculture is experiencing increasing market failure regarding investment in agricultural pesticides and veterinary medicines as the case for commercial investment is not always sufficient given the regulatory cost for chemical registration and the relatively small market size.

Some industries in Australia are currently missing out on up to 50% of the potential new technologies which key competitors in Europe and the USA have access to, putting those industries at a competitive disadvantage. Australian agriculture is experiencing increasing market failure regarding investment in agricultural pesticides and veterinary medicines as the case for commercial investment is not always sufficient given the current high level of regulatory cost for chemical registration and the relatively small market size.

Without significant change, Australian agricultural productivity will increasingly decline, as will the ability of new and emerging industries to deliver a more diverse range of foods due to increasing market failure, even though demand for these products continues to grow.

The RIRDC project PRJ-009981 Delivery of Access to AgVet Chemicals Collaborative System, was contracted to establish a forum to develop a sustainable approach for collaboration regarding AgVet chemicals, building on recent cross industry discussions on AgVet chemical access that were supported by industry and government stakeholders. It could include establishing a collaboration and co-investment framework to more efficiently improve AgVet technology access for agricultural industries at reduced cost.

The joint RDC funded project through PRJ-10406 – AgVet Collaborative Forum project has delivered the second phase of activity of the Forum established in 2014. This project has continued to deliver a sustainable approach for collaboration regarding improved access to AgVet chemicals. The project has continued to make further improvement to a collaboration and co-investment framework to more efficiently improve AgVet technology access for agricultural industries at reduced cost. The project has continued to demonstrate potential value of collaboration and cost savings from investment in the collaborative framework, delivering increased Agvet tools to Australian agriculture