Agribusiness Digital Transformation

Although many industries in the food, agribusiness and environmental management sectors share the same challenges in managing antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), they each have unique circumstances, needs and ways of operating.

They also have different ways of collecting, using, storing and managing data, and different approaches to data privacy and security.

To work together to tackle AMU and AMR, SAAFE partners need a more cohesive, fit-for-purpose approach to data management and governance. They need to ensure that data relevant to AMR decision-making is identified, transformed and handled under strong governance principles. This includes secure storage and access within interoperable, fit-for-purpose IT systems. These developments will increase the ability of SAAFE partners to perform their own AMR risk assessments, work together and maximise the benefits of project outputs.

The project will help industry, government and agribusiness partners to establish the digital foundations needed to securely manage and enhance their own data on AMU and AMR. Once in place, these foundations will enable partners and others to develop their nationwide data assets.

High-quality, consistent and interoperable AMU and AMR data will improve partners’ preparedness for AMR events. With improved data intelligence, they will be empowered to perform risk assessments and to take action that slows AMR development and spread within their sector and mitigates the risk of AMR events affecting food security, food safety and market access.

We will review existing AMR and AMU data landscapes across industry partners, analyse partners’ data systems to identify areas of potential improvement, and establish common standards. With a focus on data from the water-horticulture-waste value chain, the project will deliver a unified approach and IT tools to enhance Australia’s food security and national AMR monitoring and evaluation framework.

Key outcomes of the project will include the SAAFE Data Code, Data Landscape, Data Vocabularies and Standards, and Data System.

• Defining foundational data governance protocols across project partners (including data sharing agreements) for collating and using AMR and AMU data in a standardised and interoperable way (SAAFE Data Code)

• Reviewing and conducting a business analysis of existing AMU and AMR data systems to provide a landscape of data utilisation, storage and reporting across sectors (SAAFE Data Landscape)

• Developing standards and vocabularies to facilitate cross-sectoral data sharing, accurate risk model development and targeted intervention (SAAFE Data Vocabularies and Standards)

• Developing metadata standards, common data models and digital systems for AMU and AMR, to enable project partners to integrate data systems and decision support (SAAFE Data System)

Horticulture sector, water sector, food and agribusiness, health protection agencies, researchers, technology developers

The project is led by The University of Queensland in partnership with the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through its Food Security Data Challenges initiative.

ARDC, Australia’s leading research data infrastructure facility, accelerates Australian research and innovation by driving excellence in the creation, analysis and retention of high-quality data assets. The ARDC is enabled by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

The University of Queensland has research capabilities relevant to industries where SAAFE will make a difference, including animal industries, aquaculture, horticulture and digital health. University of Queensland researchers are leading two SAAFE research programs and working on projects with industry partners in all three research programs.

2 years

Ongoing

Partner workshops for the development of the SAAFE Data Code and SAAFE Data Landscapes are being organised.