Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub

AFI Roundtable

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2024 1022 SH at AI Roundable-1 copy 2000px

Australian Farm Institute Round Table 2024

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Some of the many ALRP graduates and affiliates at the Roundtable with Dr Sara Hely (right, bottom row), included Fiona Simson, Cathy McGowan, Emma Coath and Catherine Marriott.

‘Walking the talk, putting policy into action’

 

Vic Hub Director Dr Sara Hely attended the Australian Farm institute “round table” today.

“It gave me the chance to connect with new and old friends in the industry. It was energising to spend time with ALRP graduates and affiliates, including some big names in ag – Fiona Simson and Cathy McGowan!

The slide shows the future drought fund as part of Adam Fennesy’s presentation on DAFFs drought policy work.

The Australian Farm Institute (AFI) has been in the thick of policy discussions on opportunities and the impacts for Australian agriculture for some 20 years.

This year, its roundtable challenged decision-makers from paddock to parliament, to contribute their expertise and views towards creating connected agrifood systems, asking industry stakeholders to commit to putting policy into action.

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This slide shows the Future Drought Fund as part of Adam Fennesy’s presentation on DAFFs drought policy work.

The brilliant line-up brought together a diverse and energetic group of leaders, thinkers, contributors, analysts and ‘doers’, including:

  • Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Adam Fennessy PSM
  • Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture (SRAA)
  • Fiona Simson, Vice President, World Farmers’ Organisation
  • Matt Linnegar, Chief Executive, ARLF
  • Cathy McGowan, AgriFutures Chair
  • Catherine Marriott, Nuffield Scholar (and former CEO of Vic Hub North East Node, Riverine Plains Inc.)
  • Dr Kate Andrews, Chief Executive Officer, NRM Regions Australia
  • David Jochinke, President, National Farmers’ Federation
  • Annabel Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Farmers’ Association
  • Suzanne Thompson, Managing Director, Yachatdac
  • Darryl Lyons, Cofounder & Chief Rainmaker, Rainstick
  • Jen Medway, General Manager, Regional Tech Hub
  • Richard Vecqueray, Chief Executive Officer, Map of Ag
  • Alexandra Gartmann, AFI Chair
  • John Ralph, Founding AFI Chair
  • Ed Perrett, Research Manager, GO.FARM
  • David Thompson, Data Visualisation Specialist, Western Sydney University
  • Dr Nikki Dumbrell, Postdoctoral Fellow, Agriculture & Food, CSIRO
  • Dr Robyn Alders, Honorary Professor, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU
  • Katie McRobert, AFI ED

 

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Session Spotlight – Breaking The Status Quo: To challenge the platitude “that’s just the way things work”, join Dr Kate Andrews, NRM Regions Australia CEO; Suzanne Thompson, Yachatdac MD and Darryl Lyons, Rainstick Cofounder and Chief Rainmaker in the ‘Breaking the status quo’ session of AFI’s annual Roundtable.

 

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Roundtable Session Spotlight: Think Global, Act Local – Australian farmers should export ideas as much as food and fibre. Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture; Richard Vecqueray, Map of Ag CEO; and Fiona Simson, World Farmers’ Organisation VP; will bring their insights into what the global landscape means for the future of Australian agriculture.

 

 

 

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Roundtable Session Spotlight: The Great Debate – Is Talking About The Problem Overrated? Moderated by AFI Director Caroline Rhodes, two teams debated the merits of talking through agricultural policy issues: do we talk too much about our problems, or not enough? AFI’s research team – Justin Maroccia and Kade Denton – joined Catherine Marriott OAM, Nuffield Scholar (and former Vic Hub NE Node CEO), and Jennifer Medway GAICD, GM Regional Tech Hub, to argue each side of this question.