Governance

Future Farm Industries CRC is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. It:

• Consists of 13 Members and 16 Participants (including all Members)
• Commercialises Centre Intellectual Property (IP) with the Participants as beneficial owners (FFI CRC's IP Management for Industry Use and Commercialisation Policy)
• Undertakes research and development, education and training, and commercialisation, to maximise adoption of its FFI CRC outcomes.

Participants (including Members), within the terms of the Participants Agreement, and the Commonwealth Government determine the strategic direction and purpose of the company. These agreements state the Company’s objectives, achievement milestones and the resources to operate. Participants meet at least twice yearly to discuss projects and commercialisation and may make recommendations to the Company.

CRC executive is comprised of a Chief Executive Officer, Research Director and Agribusiness Director. Five Program Leaders are responsible for coordinating the CRC’s research projects with the Executive to maximise the CRC in achieving its outcomes. Other managers are shown in the organisational chart.

Members appoint the seven-member, skill-based Board of Directors to manage the Company. The directors are independent of Member interests. The non-executive directors retire every two years and may be re-appointed. The executive director is the Chief Executive Officer. Resolution of Members' issues is specified in the Company constitution, including the conduct of general meetings. Their roles, appointment/retirement and responsibilities are described in the Constitution Of Future Farm Industries CRC Limited.

Annual Reports

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Board of Directors

An independent board of seven directors, including an Executive Director, manage Future Farm Industries CRC. The board meets quarterly, and is chaired by Andrew Inglis, a farmer and grains industry leader who is a past Chair of the Grains R&D Corporation and Plant Health Australia, and also past Deputy Chair of ABB Grain.

Other Directors are:

• Kathryn Adams is an expert in intellectual property management and Senior Research Fellow with the Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture. She is a Director of the Forest and Wood Products R&D Corporation, the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC Ltd, and Plant Health Australia Ltd.
• Dr Tim Healey is an experienced non-executive director who has been a director of various large companies and government corporations, including United Energy Ltd and Alinta Ltd. Dr Healey has strong experience in corporate governance, audit and risk management, and finance.
• Mick Poole is a consultant with extensive experience in research leadership at CSIRO and the WA Department of Agriculture and Food. He was a Board Member and Research Committee Chair for the former CRC Salinity, and is highly regarded for his expertise in dryland farming systems and landscape management.
• Prof. Tim Reeves was previously Director-General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre. He has wide experience in agricultural R&D, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and international development.
• David Sackett is a farm management consultant with extensive experience in livestock enterprises and the wool industry.
• Peter Zurzolo is the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director and Company Secretary.