Food Frontier and Cellular Agriculture Australia announce strategic merger to unify Australia’s future food technologies sector

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Food Frontier, Australia’s independent alternative protein think tank, and Cellular Agriculture Australia (CAA), the nation's leading advocate for cellular agriculture and food biomanufacturing, today announced they are joining forces. The merger results in a single, unified organisation dedicated to accelerating the commercialisation of emerging food production technologies and ingredient innovation in Australia. 

With increasing convergence across cultivated, fermented and plant protein applications, this integration provides a coordinated voice for the rapidly evolving sector comprising these technologies and products. Food Frontier will merge into CAA, which will have a newly expanded remit to drive the policy, investment, and regulatory settings required for the success of Australia’s future food ecosystem. 

A unified vision for 2026 

In 2026, CAA will deliver an integrated strategy across cultivated, fermented and plant protein applications, demonstrating how future food technologies can strengthen Australia’s agrifood system. This is in line with both organisations’ shared vision of a resilient and sustainable food future for Australia. 

“We are proud of Food Frontier’s eight years of impact,” said David Bucca, Executive Chair, Food Frontier. “This transition honours our organisation’s legacy, while critically reallocating our resources towards the most promising opportunities for Australia’s food future.” 

"Our stakeholders across industry, research and government can be confident CAA’s research and advocacy work will remain independent and evidence-based as our remit expands," said Chloe Dempsey, Director, CAA. "Critically, a unified voice will offer clearer policy signals and strengthened resources to deliver meaningful outcomes across the entire future food ecosystem." 

"We are committed to engaging deeply with stakeholders across the ecosystem to inform our future strategy, structure and identity," said Sam Perkins, CEO of CAA. "Later this year, we will be launching our refreshed strategic direction and brand that will capture the full scope and ambition of what our combined team is positioned to achieve." 

Key outcomes of the merger 

• Coherent strategy: A single streamlined strategy focused on the most promising opportunities across the ecosystem, building Australia’s food future: including cultivated, fermented and plant protein applications, which are increasingly converging with diverse applications across the food system. 

• Expanded remit: CAA’s program delivery will expand to include the diversification of domestic plant protein ingredient supply chains in addition to their continued work on cellular agriculture and food biomanufacturing. 

• Policy & regulatory leadership: Providing a single point of contact for government and policymakers on emerging food production technologies and ingredient innovation. 

The organisational integration will take place in April. Bucca will join the CAA Board and Food Frontier’s Executive Director and Operations Coordinator will join the CAA team, which is also expanding with recruitment underway for a Director of Policy and Advocacy and Communications Manager. 

Food Frontier’s resources including research, reports and historical sector news will continue to be available on its website and social channels through 2026. 

Read more in the joint statement.