AIFST and CSIRO are pleased to present a Shelf Stable Webinar Series.
Five webinars form part of the series.
Webinar 1: From war rations to reliability of supply chain. Why shelf stable, why now?
Theme: Strategic framing of shelf-stable foods for sovereignty, nutrition access, and national resilience
Shelf-stable food is no longer just about long shelf life – it's about national readiness, resilience, and sovereignty. In a world of climate shocks, supply chain volatility, and shifting geopolitical risks, we need nutrition that moves with us – into the field, the flood zone, or the frontline. This session will spotlight how shelf-stable innovation is transforming rations from survival packs into high-performance nutrition systems. We’ll connect Defence, industry, and research to ask: how do we engineer food that protects our people and strengthens Australia’s food sovereignty?
Our speakers:
Professor Steve Rogers - Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Research & Community Connection, Charles Darwin University (CDU)
Professor Rogers has research and high-level leadership experience in the environment sector, mining exploration and mineral processing industries with an extensive understanding of the complex regional issues facing Northern Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
Professor Rogers was formerly the CEO at the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd (CfAT Ltd), an Aboriginal-controlled, not-for-profit technology and infrastructure solutions company based in Alice Springs, operating across rural and remote Australia.
With a PhD in Microbiology, Professor Rogers spent 13 years with the University of Adelaide and CSIRO Land and Water at the Waite Research Institute in Adelaide. His research interests include using microorganisms to clean contaminated industrial sites.
Professor Rogers has held several other positions working with global mining and oil and gas sectors, as the CEO of the CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration, Managing Director of the Parker CRC for Integrated Hydrometallurgy Solutions and WA program manager with the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Lieutenant Colonel David Long - SO1 Catering, Australian Defence Force
LTCOL Long entered the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2003, graduating from the Royal Military College Duntroon to the Australian Army Catering Corps in 2006. His postings have been to Canberra, Brisbane, Townsville, Darwin and Melbourne filling a broad variety of roles. As a General Service, Logistics and Catering Officer he has experience planning and commanding group feeding capabilities. He is now employed in the Defence Catering Cell within Joint Logistics Command with a focus on catering policy. The Cell also provides a co-ordination function for feeding across the wider Australian Defence Force. His operational experience includes Afghanistan and Defence Aid to the Civil Community.
Daniel Philp, Defence Nutrition Australia
Daniel has worked directly in the food industry for the last 5 years with experience covering the last 20 years, from farm work harvesting vegetables and fruit to food manufacturing and his most recent experience is in brand development and commercialisation. Being raised in a rural food producing community gives Daniel an appreciation of the whole supply chain especially the human element of food production.
He is currently one subject away from completing his MBA through the University of Queensland. During the study, he began investigating sovereign food supply for the ADF having been inspired from his service in the Army as a Rifleman. As co-owner of startup Defence Nutrition Australia, the veteran owned business seeks to bring sovereign food security to our service personnel and nation in support of Australia's National Defence Strategy.
Daniel has a keen interest in military history in particular biographies, manoeuvre warfare and a resource understanding of conflict and strategy. When not working on projects in Brisbane, he can be found on his rural property where he has spent the last 10 years creating a natural habitat for wildlife and returning the land to a natural balance.
Future webinars in this series include:
- Technologies That Transform – Processing for Quality, Nutrition, and sustainability
- Resilience in the Regions – Decentralised Manufacturing & Remote Access of nutritious food
- Sustainable by Design – Circular Packaging and Upcycling of By-Products
- The Future Retail Shelf and its Disruption, Foodservice, and Export Potential
