HAL is the industry’s national rural research and development corporation (RRDC) for the horticulture industry and has an annual expenditure of $80 million in projects in partnership with the horticultural sector and governments. HAL manages more than 1,200 projects annually across a wide diversity of topics to fulfil its mission of investing in programs that provide benefit to Australian horticultural industries and the producers whose levies make up a significant proportion of its funding.

See the HAL website for more information – www.horticulture.com.au

Due to the complexity of the horticultural industries and their geographical locations, HAL manages a dynamic range of industries that all fall within ‘horticulture’ and a diversity of topics including consumer marketing, market research, supply chain management, export marketing, market access, quality assurance, food safety, skills development, industry communication, biosecurity, biotechnology, breeding, plant health, crop protection, irrigation and sustainable practices.

HAL strongly supports the Government priorities for research and development (R&D) and key elements of the HAL Strategic Business Plan are aligned with Rural Research and Development priorities.

HAL is managing the industry’s response to Climate Change, in partnership with the peak industry bodies, through the HAL Environment Portfolio.
 
 HAL Environment Portfolio

The HAL Natural Resources & Climate Manager, Alison Turnbull, is responsible for the delivery of environmental activities and programs through the HAL Environment Portfolio.

The vision of the HAL Environment Portfolio is:
By 2010, Australian horticulture will be recognised internationally for its widespread adoption of commonly agreed good management practices, which both conserve and enhance the natural resource base and promote a long-term viable industry.

The Mission Statement of the HAL Environment Portfolio is:
Position the Australian horticulture industry as a good environmental steward

The HAL Environment Portfolio integrates not only the climate change activities, but also a number of other national scale environmental activities for the horticulture industry. The key initiatives are:

• Horticulture for Tomorrow
• Horticulture Water Initiative
• National Recycled Water Coordination
• National Program for Sustainable Irrigation

See www.horticulture.com.au/environment for more information on the research and development being undertaken by the horticulture industry to address environmental issues.

Collaborative Response

There is no ‘ready’ solution to climate change, but the urgency of information and action is new. In the past, climate change research has been fragmented across all areas of innovative technologies, biological systems and communication/ education. It is vital that Government, agencies and industry work together to communicate and respond to the implications of climate change.

Collaboration is the key.

HAL is currently investing in two national, across-agriculture climate change programs in order to ensure effective and meaningful collaboration – through the Managing Climate Variability Program and Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries.

The strategies within the HCCAP are aligned with the priorities of both programs and HAL will continue to work with collaborative partners into the future to invest in climate change and variability issues that will ensure horticulture is able to adapt and remain viable into the future.