ABARES is the science and economics research bureau within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

ABARES performs it role to support the strategic objectives of the department:

Building successful primary industries
Supporting agricultural communities
Expanding agricultural, fisheries and forestry exports
Sustaining natural resources for longer term productive primary industries
Managing biosecurity and imported food risk

Decision-makers face questions and problems that demand quality and timely advice on a range of themes, including responses to drought, fisheries management, biosecurity, forestry, trade and agricultural productivity. ABARES provides specialised capacity to meet this demand through the provision of integrated scientific and economic advice on the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors. Our mission is to provide professionally independent and world-class multi-disciplinary research, analysis and advice to inform decision-makers in this department, other government agencies and the private sector on significant issues affecting Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

In 2015-16 ABARES will contribute to supporting key priorities of the Government’s agenda, including the implementation of the Agricultural Competitiveness white paper and market access and free trade agreements.

On behalf of the agriculture portfolio, ABARES manages the government’s regulatory reform agenda (previously known as the deregulation or cutting red tape agenda), including the identification and monitoring of opportunities for regulatory reform, reporting on achievements to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and implementing the regulator performance framework.