Australia's leading scientific organisation on Monday launched its newest research flagship program into sustainable agriculture.

Its goal is to work out how to secure the nation's agriculture and forest industries by increasing productivity by 50 per cent, and at the same time reduce carbon emissions intensity by at least that much between now and 2030.

CSIRO chief executive, Megan Clark said farmers and foresters were facing new challenges and had to adapt.

"We simply cannot continue to farm marginal land or destroy forest for agricultural acreage this time," she said at the launch in Canberra.

Dr Clark said the organisation's best scientists would collaborate with government agencies, universities and agribusinesses to find new, environmentally friendly farming and forestry alternatives.

Science and Research Minister Kim Carr said the new flagship program would conduct about $70 million worth of research and development a year. About 60 per cent of the money would come from the Federal Government, with the rest from public and private sources.