Membership update

AgFutures 2020 innovation and investment in Queensland agriculture

By Matt Kealley, CANEGROWERS Senior Manager - Membership Engagement & Innovation Recently, I attended my first face-to-face event in six months. It was a breakfast for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries AgFutures 2020 forum. I've been attending webinars and video conferences since March, so it was a nice change to meet people in the flesh.

AgFutures 2020 is touted as Queensland agriculture’s premier event for the year. The forum usually attracts around 200 delegates. This year because of COVID-19 protocols, 40 delegates attended and it was streamed to over 700 online viewers.

The Minister for Agriculture, Mark Furner opened the event and commented on the mix of face-to-face and online attendance, acknowledging the opportunities online streaming offered to engage more with agriculture across Queensland.

The Minister presented the Peter Kenny Medal for innovation leading to profitability and sustainability.

This year’s winner was Darling Downs farmer and former Queensland Farmers’ Federation President Stuart Armitage. Stuart humbly accepted the award, acknowledging his family and the people he works with.

Pip Courtney, from ABC’s Landline, hosted and we also heard insightful presentations from Jacqueline Wilson-Smith (Global Strategist at Sustainable Innovation Company), Fabian Carniel (CEO at Mulgowie Farming Company), and Dr Sarah Pearson (Deputy Director-General, Dept of Innovation and Tourism).

‘Collaborate with Purpose’ was the theme of Jacqueline Wilson-Smith’s talk, during which she posed the question: “How does Queensland play a meaningful part solving the systemic and rising problems in agri-food and fibre industries, locally and globally?”

Jacqueline believes that by encouraging individuals, organisations, and governments to be less competitive and collaborate with purpose, solutions can be found to overcome the shared challenges of long supply chains, rising costs, trade barriers, food safety and biosecurity, which would support economic recovery in these uncertain times. Fabian Carniel, spoke about the challenges his business has faced with pests, weather events and drought, all of which have been compounded by complications from COVID-19 on workforce safety, operational continuity and market volatility. This had forced Mulgowie to pivot and pioneer an innovative risk-based approach to mitigating the complex health and business threats created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fabian shared his experience with industry, government and community partners to help minimise the impacts of the unfolding crisis on the sector.

He believes a collaborative and connected approach is a key ingredient in cultivating the new ‘ag normal’.

In her thought-provoking talk, Dr Pearson reflected on how breakthrough technology is providing solutions to resource scarcity, whilst also disrupting the very essence of food and agriculture.

She noted that the global demand for ‘clean food’ is rising, which creates opportunities for Australia’s clean and green produce to thrive.

Being at the event, it was refreshing to hear live speakers and see their body language. Hand gestures are so important to communication. I appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with a few colleagues in person and share some ideas and thoughts with the speakers after the event.

If you are interested in what they had to say the recording of the event will be posted at daf.engagementhub.com.au/agfutures 