About our School

Our School brings together a wide range of disciplines spanning from the study of ecosystem processes and management to agriculture, agribusiness, land and resource use and conservation, applied social sciences, soil sciences, crop and animal production, food and nutrition sciences.

The School brings together diverse discipline strengths to lead the development of new interdisciplinary and high-impact solutions for global challenges relating to climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, invasive species, and environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices.

With deep expertise across a variety of disciplines, the School offers a range of subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students, including six Master coursework programs: Master of Agricultural Sciences, Master of Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Master of Food and Packaging Innovation, Master of Food Science, Master of Urban Horticulture and Master of Environment.

The School is situated across four University campuses, with dedicated agriculture, forest and fire, and urban horticulture facilities that enable a unique hands-on learning experience. The School is actively engaged in partnerships with industry, government, alumni, and the community to share knowledge and co-develop solutions to real-world problems. Join a vibrant community committed to benefiting people and nature through education and research.

2025 SAFES End of Year Celebration at the Ernie Cropley Sports Pavilion, Parkville campus

Our vision

Flourishing environments and communities

Our mission

To nurture new knowledge, strengthen capabilities and transform systems in agriculture, food and ecosystem sciences.

Our values

Community

We value and support diverse perspectives and cultures. We are at our best when collaborating in a spirit of respect, trust, generosity and belonging.

Leadership

We support and nurture leadership across all career stages and roles. We show courage and accountability in all we do.

An icon of an eye looking through a magnifying glass

Excellence

We thrive when doing outstanding and rigorous science. We celebrate and foster high scientific and teaching standards.

Creativity

We foster curiosity, discovery, and critical inquiry.

Sustainability

We value the welfare of all people and nature. We work to make the world a better place.

SAFES Five Year Plan 2025-30

Download Five Year Plan (PDF 26.3 MB)

Our history and future

Disciplines within the School have a long history in Victoria, with teaching and research in agriculture at Dookie Campus since 1886, in horticulture at Burnley Campus since 1891 and forest sciences at Creswick Campus since 1910. Building on these foundations, in January 2023 the School of Agriculture and Food and the School of Ecosystem and Forest Science merged to become one expanded and future-oriented school within the Faculty of Science named the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES).

We have a breadth of experience and capacity to address a wide range of issues including environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices, climate change, bushfires, food security, urban sustainability, livestock welfare, biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, invasive species and biosecurity threats.

Our places

School staff are located across four University campuses – Parkville, Dookie, Burnley, Creswick – with excellent facilities for study and research in the heart of Melbourne and regional Victoria.

This reach provides a unique opportunity for our students and researchers to work across campuses, collaborate on real-world issues and access a wider range of industry partnerships and internships.

We are collegial, responsible and collaborative. We acknowledge the deep links between people and Country in Aboriginal culture and the knowledge and understanding that Indigenous communities across the world bring to the study of ecosystems and their management.

Diversity and inclusion in our school

Diversity is vital to research, teaching and campus culture, and genuine inclusion is vital to diversity. We are committed to creating change in order to advance diversity and inclusion in our community by providing an equitable environment for our staff, students and visitors through a variety of initiatives and actions.