evokeᴬᴳ⋅: Recent Episodes

AgriFutures Australia

evokeᴬᴳ⋅ connects the agrifood innovation community across the Asia Pacific region and around the world.

We do this by providing a digital platform and a premier agrifood tech event where farmers share their experiences, startups pitch their potential, scientists showcase their discoveries, global business leaders share their insights and industry experts debate their opinions.

evokeᴬᴳ⋅ provides innovative news and views from around the world that elevates the conversation and connects the agrifood innovation community, every day.

evokeᴬᴳ⋅ 2024 was held in in Perth, Western Australia on 20-21 February 2024. evokeᴬᴳ⋅ 2025 will be held in Brisbane, Queensland on 18-19 February 2024. For more information visit evokeag.com

Everyone knows fails are a part of life. But what you choose to learn from them is where the magic can happen.

Dr. Robert Van Barneveld is the CEO of the Sunpork Group which is responsible for producing 20% of Australia’s pork. He’s joining Bryan Van Wyk, Operations Manager at Austral Fisheries on stage at evokeAG 2025. They’ll give an unfiltered look at agritech adoption across Australia’s agricultural supply chain and outline what wins they’ve had in their businesses as well as their fails.

They joined our contributor Jayne Cuddihy in a candid conversation about business, innovation and personal goals.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

The carbon space can be a murky realm, with a lot of information delivered in many different ways. But what if it was reimagined altogether?

Aviva Reed is an ecological artist, environmental book author, and an art science educator. She uses techniques such as art making, storytelling, and hands-on ecoliteracy to explore complexity, making scientific concepts accessible and beautiful.

Aviva is coming to evokeAG. 2025 and as she shares with our contributor Jayne Cuddihy, she’s exploring the world of carbon and its role in the ecosystem in new and brilliant ways.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

evokeAG. brings not just bright minds and thought leaders together but stretches our understanding of what’s happening in the world around us.

In this episode we’re hearing from two seasoned evokeAG. speakers and attendees who are renowned for their ability to inspire, inform and push boundaries.

Olympia Yarger is the Founder and CEO of Goterra and Adam Anders is the Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Anterra Capital.

In this interview with Jayne Cuddihy the pair enforce the need for Australians to appreciate the full breadth of expertise and innovation in our country.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

It’s only a matter of a couple of short months until the doors are opened on evokeAG. 2025 in Brisbane.

With a terrific lineup of speakers around four topic threads, it’s going to take a team effort to keep everyone on track - so what better way than to bring in four event emcees!?

Liz Brennan, Tim Hunt, Saron Berhane and Oli Le Lievre will not only direct some fabulous conversations, ask the hard questions, but promise authenticity with a splash of showmanship.

Our contributor Jayne Cuddihy sat down with Liz and Oli to mull over what we can expect from them at evokeAG. 2025.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

Jocie and Andrew Bates’ SwarmFarm has been leading the charge in agriculture’s approach to robotics for over 14 years not just in Australia, but overseas.

And Andrew attributes much of that success to working closely with their clients, such as Western Australia’s Brad Jones.

In this episode we’re exploring the relationship between the startup and their customer - what works, what hasn’t and why businesses that put their customers at the forefront of their business strategies leads to success.

Jocie and Andrew Bates’ SwarmFarm has been leading the charge in agriculture’s approach to robotics for over 14 years not just in Australia, but overseas.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

The relationship between potential investor and startup can sometimes be a courtship experience.

You might start asking your friends before you venture on a first date. There’s the initial meeting and research. If there's a spark - well, more dates may follow - building trust, aligning ethics and serious investment.

But if you don't make a good impression, you part ways and keep looking.

Thankfully for Azaneo's Liam Hescock and Matthew Pryor from Tenacious Ventures it’s been a successful courtship that’s led to a great business relationship. As our contributor Jayne Cuddihy found out, there’s hard work in maintenance, just like any other serious relationship.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

There’s a sweet spot where innovation meets the needs of producers and more times than not, it means success for all involved.

In this episode our contributor Jayne Cuddihy explores a brilliant collaboration to sustainably produce hydrogen between HydGene Renewables CEO and founder Dr Louise Brown and innovative New South Wales farmer Stuart Tait.

They not only chat about the groundbreaking research being done on farm with hydrogen, but explore the explore the primary barriers preventing widespread adoption of agtech innovations among producers.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

Modern growers are spoilt for choice when it comes to new agtech opportunities, and yet some still baulk at uptake of it.

This month we’re delving into how ag industries are bridging the adoption gap when it comes to agtech.

In this conversation, our contributor Jayne Cuddihy spoke to Jenn Honnery, the CEO of the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association and large-scale Queensland mango farmer Ben Martin about what opportunities they see in the agtech space and how they encourage people to break down the barriers.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

There’s no argument that women are putting forward ideas and research that offer scalable solutions, but why are some of these cutting-edge ideas being overlooked?

Is it a gender issue, a communication problem or a matter of self-selecting out of bigger plays?

In this episode we’re delving into the concept of ‘think bigger, sooner’, with a particular focus on women working in the agrifood and technology sectors.

To mull over the issue our contributor Jayne Cuddihy is joined by Dr Kerstin Petroll, the chief technology officer from Hydgene Renewables, and Sam Sneddon, CEO of WollemAI.

Kerstin and Sam are finalists in the AgriFutures Australia and AgriFutures growAG. Catalyst program. It’s designed to empower female leaders in the agriculture and technology sectors, bolstering not only their networks and capabilities but provides a vital platform for advancing their research or technological innovations to the next phase of development.

Visit growag.com for more information.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

In this episode we’re taking a look at the visibility of women and diversity of roles in the workplace with two of the finalists in the AgriFutures Australia Catalyst program.

Nikki Davey is the Co-Founder and CEO of Grown Not Flown and Dr Nasim Amiralian is a group leader of the Bio inspired materials group at the University of Queensland.

As our contributor Jayne Cuddihy discovered in their conversation, Nikki and Nasim have some incredible insights into how women can become more visible and take others along for the ride.

Nasim and Nikki are finalists in the AgriFutures Australia and AgriFutures growAG. Catalyst program. It’s designed to empower female leaders in the agriculture and technology sectors, bolstering not only their networks and capabilities but provides a vital platform for advancing their research or technological innovations to the next phase of development.

Visit growag.com for more information.

Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane for evokeAG. 2025. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

The Australian biofuels industry also finds itself at a serious crossroads. To date, government support and subsidies designed to boost innovation and scale for biofuel producers and end-users has been key, but what comes next.

This episode is a live recording of a conversation at evoke24 titled Ready for takeoff: the state of play for the biofuels industry. It was facilitated by Alexandra Gartmann, director Australian Farm Institute and non-executive director, Nufarm and included Brad Jones, Director, Bungulla Farming, Fanny Mattens, Head of Strategic Development and Sustainability for Australia and the Pacific, Airbus, Brianna Peake, Chief Stakeholder Relations, Sustainability and Strategy Officer, CBH and Stefan Vogel, General Manager, RaboResearch Australia and New Zealand, Rabobank.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Circular economy is a familiar term, and one that is often synonymous with industry waste systems.

But we can’t just recycle our way out of the waste crisis we are in. What if this limited interpretation is limiting the potential of a truly circular system to stop waste before it starts?

In this panel discussion, listen to industry thought leaders, Huia Adkins, the Sustainability Business Group Leader and Technical Director - Circular Economy, GHD, Antony Yousefian, The First 30 Ventures, Edwina Beveridge, Co-Owner of Blantyre Farms, and Professor Navid Moheimani from Murdoch University.

Their conversation is facilitated by Julie Hirsch, Eloments Natural Vitamin Tea.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

The power of artificial intelligence (AI) seems boundless, as do the opportunities it presents for improved efficiency, production, and resilience across the agrifood supply chain.

But how can industry responsibly harness AI-driven innovation to unlock a lasting, positive legacy?

This is a recording of the great balancing act: AI, the possibilities, and the responsibilities from evokeAG. 2024 featuring Nicolas Martelli, ZoomAgri, Abi Ramanan, Food Systems Entrepreneur, Ponsi Trivisvavet, Inari, and Dr Thijs van Leeuwen, Director of Product Planet.

Their conversation is facilitated by Nina Schick, founder Tamang Ventures.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Food fraud costs the industry $40 billion per year. How, and where in the supply chain can technology help avoid this waste? How can it deliver consistent and high-quality products to consumers, while preventing recalls?

Hear the amazing story behind one of the most exciting agrifood tech innovations in years with one of evokeAG 2024’s keynote speakers, food systems entrepreneur Abi Ramanan.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Market access, cost of inputs, logistics, supply and demand all influence who benefits most as food and fibre moves through the supply chain.

This is a recorded panel session; 'Price maker, or price taker? Unlocking the potential of more equitable agrifood supply chains.'

The conversation involves Cressida Cains, Pecora Dairy, Professor Philip Howard, Michigan State University, Nick Stamatiou, CEO Whole, and Leith Teakle, Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative and is facilitated by Tim Hunt from Tim Hunt Consulting.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

With over 70% of Australian agricultural produce exported down long and disparate supply chains, keeping track of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is as complex as it is important for primary producers.

This episode includes two audio features. First, a presentation by Australia’s pre-eminent sustainability academic Richard Eckard. He highlights the important role of an agreed, accessible, and user-friendly greenhouse gas accounting framework.

Professor Eckard then joined discussion, 'Leaders and Laggards: Pathways to a more sustainable agrifood landscape' including Jacqui Biddulph a dairy farmer and steering committee member for Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework, David Messina, the Co Founder and CEO of Rumin8, and Charlotte Weston, Global Sustainability Director EY. Their conversation is facilitated by Jackson Hewett, Head of Content for Auctions Plus.

Spotting a gap in the market is one thing, building a solution and making it pay is completely another. In this episode you’ll hear a panel discussion; 'Bleeding Edge: Securing a Premium,' where panellists reflect on what worked and what didn’t during their own startup journeys.

It’s facilitated by Julie Hirsch, Co-Founder of both Eloments Natural Vitamin Tea and Mullin.

RELATED: Five agrifood innovators share how they score a premium

This discussion includes insights from Natalie Sarich-Dayton, CEO and Managing Director of Brownes Dairy, John Foss, Founder of Fancy Plants and The Chia Company, Richard Lovell, Director of Global Procurement and Networking at CP Foods and Jay Albany, Wide Open Agriculture.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.evokeAG is heading to Queensland in 2025 - we can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane.

Biologicals have attracted a lot of attention, but widespread adoption and scalability remains a challenge. In this episode you’ll hear from industry experts, producers and academics in panel discussion, 'Biologicals- Where to from here?'

It’s facilitated by Ethy Levy, Founder and CEP Impact Innovation Trust and includes insights from Dr Pam Marrone, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, Invasive Species Corporation, Rebecca Russell, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group, Nitin Vaish, Business Development Agriculture, Ginkgo Bioworks and Mick Wettenhall, Director Weemabah Pastoral Co and Co-Founder and Head of Grower Success, Loam Bio.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

evokeAG is heading to Queensland in 2025 - we can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane.

evokeag.com

Consumer trust is hard won and fragile.

In this episode you’ll hear a panel discussion called ‘In Innovation we trust’ which lifts the lid on the role technology and innovation can play in building and protecting consumer trust in good times and in bad.

It was facilitated by Catherine Marriott OAM, a 2024 Nuffield Scholar and includes insights from Gaethan Cutri, Director Cutri Fruit, Lauren Mackenzie, Lead Sustainability Manager for Forests, Land and Agriculture, Coles, Dr Keiren Moffat, Co-Founder and CEO Voconiq and Dr Michael Patching, Managing Director, Alta Food and Agriculture.

This episode was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

evokeAG is heading to Queensland in 2025 - we can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane.

evokeag.com

On paper, decarbonisation programs to reduce scope 3 emissions on-farm sound like the best option for our producers, our industry and our planet; but what do they look like in practice?

In this episode, we share a panel discussion recorded live at evokeAG 2024, facilitated by Devon Long, General Manager, Asia Pacific, Regrow Ag.

Devon is joined in conversation with Ben Fargher, Environmental Markets Lead, APAC, Cargill and Bjorn Reijnen, APAC Sustainability Program Manager, Cargill.

This interactive Q&A session showcases what a high impact decarbonisation program looks like in the Australian cropping sector with insights from the Cargill team about their Canola decarbonisation program and includes insightful questions from the audience on the day.

evokeAG is heading to Queensland in 2025 - we can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane.

evokeag.com

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Nina Schick is a pioneering Generative AI or artificial intelligence expert and has made a name for herself demonstrating how this emerging field will change humanity.

As one of the keynote speakers of evokeAG. 2024, Nina explores the future of AI and discovers what it means for the way we produce, trade and consume food and agricultural commodities.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG. 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

In this episode you’ll hear a fascinating panel discussion called Innovation and collaboration: Solving Western Australia’s agriculture and food challenges.

It’s a case study on how industry is seeking innovative solutions to boost productivity, efficiency and meet future ESG outcomes in a challenging and changing climate.

Join facilitator Dr Ben Biddulph, WA’s Chief Primary Industries Scientist, as he explores some of the top issues facing the state’s agriculture and food industry. He’s joined by principal soil scientist Dr Gaus Azam, Annabelle Coppin from Yarrie Station, Ty Fulwood, Mt Noddy Farming and Dr Joanne Wisdom, Grower Group Alliance.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil, but how do you thrive when you’re sharing both?

Mining and agriculture are both industry titans in Australia, and with access to water, land and labour being critical to success, they share similar challenges.

This fireside chat unpacks this, the learnings, and the opportunities that lie in co-existence for these two innovative industries.

Featuring Rebecca Tomkinson, the CEO, The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, it’s facilitated by Tim Hunt, from Tim Hunt Consulting.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

When it comes to our remaining global emissions budget, things are tight.

In a world of significant socio-economic pressures, how do we maintain productivity while reducing our environmental footprint?

Dr Lewis Akenji is the managing director of the Hot or Cool Institute and as a keynote speaker at evokeAG. 2024 presented on balancing the social tensions and emissions budgets.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

The depth and value of cultural IP to western businesses is proving invaluable- but how can it be done in a mutually beneficial way?

The need to share knowledge and networks is increasing, so how can the convergence of cultural IP and western innovation can give Australian agrifood enterprises an internationally unique edge?

In this session, John Gibbs from the Spinifex Brewing Co, Amanda Healy from Kirrikin, Darryl Lyons, Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker, Rainstick and Oral McGuire, Founding Director, Noongar Landholder Enterprises have an enlightening discussion around some of the issues and the potential of strengthening those ties. Their conversation is facilitated by Dr Terri Janke, Owner and Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

The pursuit of innovation continues at a breakneck pace as we teeter on the edge of ecological, environmental, and economic uncertainty.

So, with all the ideas, money, and power in the world, how does Australia use its exceptional edge to be a global leader in agricultural production and sustainability?

In this episode Olympia Yarger, Founder and CEO of GOTERRA and Justin Webb, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of AgriWebb, come together to ruminate on this question critical to the future of the sector.

Their conversation is facilitated by Bryce Ives.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Natural capital is the phrase on everyone’s lips, but taking it from a concept to achieving tangible, valuable outcomes is challenging.

Appetite from the corporate sector to engage with nature-based projects on farm is increasing, so how do producers leverage this and walk the talk?

This episode is a dynamic exploration of the issues with Catherine Bell, a partner ESG and Climate Services, RSM Australia, Bob Nixon, Director, GRDC, and Farmer, Bunketch Ag, Heechung Sung, Head of Natural Capital Investments, Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Nicole Yazbek-Martin,

Head of Taxonomy and Natural Capital, Australian Sustainable Finance Institute.

Their conversation is facilitated by Jackson Hewett, head of content, Auctions Plus.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

As private equity investment in agrifood technology, innovation, and enterprise increases, how will the role of venture capital change?

This panel discussion includes leading international agrifood tech VCs and top tier and private equity investors including Adam Anders, co founder and managing partner, Anterra Capital, Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Tenacious Ventures, Ryan Rakestraw, director Temasek, and Chris Thomas, director at Wollemi Capital.

Their conversation is facilitated by Robyn O’Brien, the author of Seeding Innovation

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood.

The remarkable world of circular economies was one of the hot topics of evokeAG. 2024, with plenty of panel discussions and keynote speakers touching on it.

However, the work being done by Natalie Bell, founder of Hylo Ag and one of evokeAG.'s 2024 Future Young Leaders is a fantastic case study.

As Natalie explained to our contributor Jayne Cuddihy, Hylo Ag is a startup aiming to provide a recycling pathway for livestock ear tags.

Applications for the evokeAG. 2025 Future Young Leaders Program will open later this year. For more information on how to apply for the Future Young Leaders Program, visit evokeag.com/futureyoungleaders.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood

From pharmaceuticals to agriculture, biologicals offer promising avenues for sustainable and effective solutions.

In this episode our contributor Jayne Cuddihy unravels the complexities and potentials of biologicals through insightful discussions with two experts in the field.

In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about biologicals than Dr Pam Marrone, theCo-Founder and Executive Chair, Invasive Species Corporation. She’s joined in the studio by Dennis Donohue, Director of Western Growers Centre for Innovation & Technology. Both are U.S-based.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Fern Ho’s love of food was inconveniently disrupted when she developed food intolerances as an adult. This led her on a quest to better understand the provenance of food, while co-founding an alternative protein startup, The Leaf Protein Co.

Now, the business is at the forefront of what Australia can do to help meet global market demands to address changing dietary trends and needs.

She spoke to our contributor Jayne Cuddihy on her remarkable journey.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Despite being a fascinating subject, Cultural IP is quite often an uncomfortable place to do business.

Darryl Lyons, chief rainmaker at Rainstick and Dr Terri Janke, owner and solicitor director of Terri Janke and Company are not only passionate about the protection of Australian Indigenous Cultural IP but have dedicated their careers to helping to educate others around what it means.

In this episode they are in conversation with our contributor Jayne Cuddihy.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG. 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

There’s a certain exhilaration that creeps in when a startup becomes a scaleup.

In this episode we’re hearing from two Queensland-based agtech founders who’ve done exactly that and attended evokeAG 2024 as exhibitors in the inaugural Scaleup Station.

Phil Livingston from AgBot and John Pattinson, Chief Development Officer from Goanna Ag told our contributor Jayne Cuddihy that collaboration has been a huge part of their success.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Around the world, agrifood entrepreneurs are addressing social impact, but often in isolation. How can we bring these ideas together and make impact collaboratively?

Abi Ramanan is a food systems entrepreneur and Julie Hersch, is Co-Founder of both Eloments Natural Vitamin Tea and Mullin.

In this episode, our contributor Jayne Cuddihy explores their tireless pursuit of highlighting social impact in the agrifood supply chain.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Global sustainability requirements can be a tricky area to navigate, especially when you are a scaleup operating across global boundaries. So, let’s put in practical terms!

In this episode, Justin Webb, Co-Founder of Agriwebb and Charlotte Weston, Global Sustainability Director, EY, and a member of the Expert Advisory Board of The Earthshot Prize explore the challenges and opportunities for agribusinesses with our contributor Jayne Cuddihy.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to start planning their trip to the Sunshine State.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

To say the two guests in this episode are passionate about soil is an understatement.

Antony Yousefian, Partner, The First Thirty Ventures and Tegan Nock, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Loam Bio live and breathe soil health and believe in empowering farmers to boost soil carbon using microbial technology.

In conversation with our contributor Jayne Cuddihy, they discuss not only how a systems-based strategy could change the marketplace for carbon, but how a global approach could work.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Part of the magic of evokeAG are the conversations around global food production and how we can do it better, with more collaboration and innovation.

In this episode, our contributor Jayne Cuddihy spoke to two powerhouses in the global scene; Ryan Rakestraw, director of Temasek, a diversified investment company headquartered in Singapore, and Matt Macfarlane, a director of AgriFutures Australia and venture capital investor.

They not only gazed into the crystal ball for the short term but looked for investment trends well into the future.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to start planning their trip to the Sunshine State.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

Since the inception of the evokeAG, Elders has played a pivotal role in bringing the event together.

With a deep linkage to agriculture in all its forms right across the country, Elders priorities innovation and sustainability.

In this episode our contributor Jayne Cuddihy sat down with Dave McKeon, Head of Thomas Elder Sustainable Agriculture, Elders to talk everything from the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) for farmers to how the company continues to innovate.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the relentless pursuit of innovation in the Asia-Pacific region at a critical juncture in time.

Tickets *are now on sale for evokeAG 2025 to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland. Following a sell-out event in 2024 we are encouraging delegates to secure their tickets, flights and accommodation early.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland. In the meantime, catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from here.*

The startup ecosystem can be a brutal realm. The ability to think outside the box, pivot, dream big, spend small and negotiate change is really only the tip of the iceberg.

Olympia Yarger, founder and CEO of Goterra and Sally-Ann Williams, CEO of Cicada Innovation not only have taken this challenges head on, but thrived. However, is it what it seems?

In this episode our contributor Jayne Cuddihy asked Olympia and Sally-Ann everything from developing the deep tech sector in Australia, to the realities of being a female founder.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the exceptional edge of agrifood tech innovation and a relentless pursuit of innovation at a critical juncture in time.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland.

evokeag.com

The evokeAG event may have only just wrapped up in Perth for another year, but planning is already underway for next year’s premier agrifood innovation event.

And where else, but Queensland? The Sunshine State.

AgriFutures Australia is excited to be taking evokeAG to Brisbane in February 2025 with the support of Platinum Partner Elders, Host City Partner Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Host State Partner Queensland Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The event will continue to connect the agrifood innovation community from Australia, across the Asia Pacific region and around the world.

In this episode our contributor Jayne Cuddihy sat down with Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur Julia Spicer and Salvo Vitelli from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2024 in Brisbane, Queensland.

Did you know that wheat genes are five times more complex than a human's? Innovation knows no world boundaries and there’s no better example than how Australia's first gene edited wheat variety is being developed.

Tress Walmsley is the CEO of Intergrain, one of the leaders in cereal breeding in Australia, and has been working closely with Ponsi Trivisvavet, the CEO of Inari which is a seed design company using predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to unlock the full potential of seed, based out of the USA.

Our contributor Jayne Cuddihy joined them in conversation live at evokeAG 2024.

We can't wait to see you all on 18-19 February 2025 in Brisbane, Queensland.

evokeag.com

With a showcase lineup of speakers at evokeAG 2024, the event highlighted Asia Pacific’s exceptional edge to the world, helping delegates find their cutting edge.

Centre stage was Nina Schick, a pioneering artificial intelligence expert, exploring how the emerging field of artificial intelligence will change humanity.

In this episode she joins Phil Morle in conversation with our contributor Jayne Cuddihy.

Phil is a Partner at Main Sequence Ventures, an Australian based venture capital firm attached to the CSIRO.

This series was recorded live at evokeAG 2024 in Perth and explores the relentless pursuit of innovation in the Asia-Pacific region at a critical juncture in time.

The food and beverage sector is Australia’s largest manufacturing industry, worth more than $132 billion, accounting for 32% of total manufacturing turnover, and employing more than 270,000 people. Yet, the advent of COVID-19, rising climate volatility and geopolitical tensions, have underscored the imperative for more resilient and innovative food systems.

A recent opportunity listed on AgriFutures growAG sought to identify forward-thinking startups, SMEs or large companies with innovative solutions that can deliver ‘really clear benefits’ to Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector.

In this bonus episode, contributor Samantha Noon sat down with Dr Chris Downs, Founding Director of Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), to discuss the launch of their $20M second investment round developed to take Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector forward.

Watch the webinar recording of FaBA's Accelerator Second Investment Round Launch here: https://faba.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023.08-Second-Investment-Round-Launch_FINAL.m4v

Have you ever heard of the concept of a digital twin? In this episode we’re hearing from Stu Adam, one of the Co-Founders of Agronomeye. Agronomeye is a business that creates incredibly detailed maps and models of farms, helping landowners and managers understand what's going on across their property so they can make better decisions.

As an entrepreneur in the purest sense of the word, CEO Stu Adam has a background in journalism and admits he was more into surfing than agriculture. Perhaps it’s his ability to adapt that’s seen him revolutionise aerial mapping.

We hope you enjoy this conversation with Stu and evokeAG contributor, Jayne Cuddihy.

You can learn more about Agronomeye at evokeag.com or its website agronomeye.com.au.

evokeAG. 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them. Tickets are now on sale for evokeAG *2024 to be held on on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia.

We hope to see you in Perth, however in the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 at evokeag.com.*

Adam Anders is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Anterra Capital, a venture capital fund focussing on investing in innovative companies that are transforming the safety, security and sustainability of global food.

Having grown up on a farm in South Australia, Adam has lived the highs and lows of any budding entrepreneur, but admits it’s given him a unique insight into all facets of the sometimes gruelling process. Now, at the helm of his company Anterra, he is committed to building a healthier food system right across the world.

Our contributor, Jayne Cuddihy, sat down with Adam at evokeAG 2023 to talk about what motivates him and how he plans to stay on top.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Early Bird tickets are now on sale for evokeAG 2024 which will be held on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agritech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Finding world-leading agrifood research expertise, and research, investment and commercialisation opportunities easily, let alone in one easy-to-use location, has always been a challenge – until AgriFutures growAG.

growAG is helping to connect its users, researchers, investors, innovators, thought leaders and commercial partners from around Australia and across the globe with agrifood innovation, expertise and opportunities. By shortening the time it can take to find and connect with strategic partners, its’ helping increase dealflow and drive value on-farm through the development and adoption of game changing technologies.

In this episode, we’re bringing you a conversation recorded live at evokeAG 2023 around accelerating commercialisation with AgriFutures growAG.

Professor Craig Baille, the former Head of School and Dean for Agriculture and Environmental Science from the University of Southern Queensland and Fern Ho, the Co-founder and CEO of Leaf Protein Co have both used the platform with tremendous success.

Listen to their stories, together with insights from John Harvey - the Managing Director of AgriFutures Australia.

For more information on the growAG platform, including more success stories and current investment opportunities, please visit growag.com.

As the transition from fossil fuels to renewables gathers pace globally, we brought together different perspectives in a breakout session at evokeAG 2023 in Adelaide. From those who’ve commercialised renewable fuels on a large scale, to the challenges of sustaining biofuels at a local level, our panellists shared the challenges and opportunities in the production and application of sustainable fuel sources.

Before the live recording of the discussion, evokeAG contributor, Jayne Cuddihy, sat down with Cassian Drew, Managing Partner at Acclimate Partners, and Steven Hobbs, a farm owner and manager who is a passionate user and producer of alternative fuels, to find out a bit more about how they are contributing to the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

Cassian and Steven were joined in the panel discussion by Jennifer Lauber- Patterson, Managing Director Frontier Impact Group. Their conversation was facilitated by Oli Madgett, Co-Organiser, Agritech Meetup SA.

Visit evokeag.com for more on this session, and other Panel discussions at evokeAG 2023.
Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here.

With an expected two billion extra people to feed by 2050, coupled with changing tastes and dietary preferences, there is a growing global demand for more protein, produced more sustainably and from a wider variety of sources. So how, as a global community are we going to achieve that? In this episode we’re exploring what it will take to satisfy the growing global appetite for protein.

The panel discussion recorded live at evokeAG 2023 includes Professor Michelle Colgrave, the Deputy Director (Impact), Agriculture and Food, CSIRO, David Jochinke, Vice President, National Farmers’ Federation, Dr Steven Lapidge, CEO, Fight Food Waste and Anthony Stewart, CEO, Thomas Foods International. Their conversation is facilitated by Dr Aparna Venkatesh, the Collaborative Innovation Lead for the Bühler Group.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Globally, research and investment into biological solutions to improve soil and plant health is accelerating exponentially.

As regulators around the world seek to reduce the application of chemical pesticides, farmers and growers are looking at biological alternatives to protect plants from diseases, pests, and weeds, or to improve the health of their plants.

This workshop, recorded live at evokeAG 2023 looks at the global landscape for biologicals development and application and explores the opportunities it offers to researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.

In this episode we hear from Ben Barlow, Managing Director, New Edge Microbials, Ethy Levy, Managing Partner, Kinneret Impact Ventures and Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar from the Margot Forde Forage Germplasm Centre - New Zealand’s national seed bank of grassland plants. The conversation was moderated by Peter Wren-Hilton, Co-Founder and CEO, Wharf 42 and Co-Convenor of the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit.

evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 at evokeag.com.

How does an engineer end up crystal ball gazing for next gen plant breeding on a global scale? By thinking outside the box of course!

In this episode we’re hearing from Alexander Tokarz, the head of group strategy for Syngenta Group. Based in Basel, Switzerland, he’s responsible for the company’s long-term growth strategy and business development.

His presentation at evokeAG inspired attendees to think about the potential of next gen plant breeding and how it can be used to create a more sustainable and secure world and help humanity grow. But as he told our contributor Jayne Cuddihy, his role at Syngenta over the last 20 years is a far cry from his original training as an engineer.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Clean and green is to New Zealand, what the Emerald Isle is to Ireland and what innovation is to Israel. These countries have built brand identities and entire markets on leveraging their unique strengths and stories.

In this episode we’re bringing you three presentations recorded live at evokeAG 2023 from David Downs, CEO of New Zealand Story, Shifka Seigel, Project Manager, Israel Australian Chamber of Commerce, and Mary Shelman, Founder of the Shelman Group.

What can Australia learn from these international powerhouses about how to position our producers and innovators on the world stage to deliver direct benefits across the entire supply chain?

We hope you enjoy this session

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Uber and Airbnb turned two conventional industries on their heads. How did they do it? Using software that allows two applications to talk to each other. Now it’s agriculture’s turn.

In this episode we're bringing you a workshop " Data as a second language: understanding what your farm is saying to you" recorded at evokeAG 2023.

Here Andrew Skinner, Director of More Than Machines, and Andrew Cooke , Co-Founder and Managing Director, Rezare Systems showcased the possibilities and benefits of connecting data to create new business models and operating efficiencies for producers and companies alike, in what they’ve coined the ‘Internet of Agrifood’.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*

Australia's rural industries face increasing community expectations on a range of issues including environmental management, labour workforce conditions and acceptance of new technologies. Achieving the sector's $100 billion production goal by 2030, requires a pipeline of talented and committed people- the lifeblood of our rural industries.

Dr Kieren Moffat is the CEO and Co- Founder Voconiq- a data science and community engagement company, tasked with breaking down the barriers of explaining how Australia’s rural industries can cope with increasing community expectations on a range of issues, including environmental management, labour workforce conditions, and acceptance of new technologies.

We hope you enjoy his presentation recorded live at evokeAG 2023. For more on this project visit agrifutures.com.au.

Save the date for evokeAG. 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG. 2023 here.

Self-driving tractors, seed planting robots and agricultural drones are all putting new technology and better outcomes in the hands of our producers.

This episode is a panel discussion recorded live at evokeAG 2023. The companies making it happen and the producers using the tech come together to share what’s in the market right now, what’s to come, and to discuss at what point does autonomous agriculture start to pay for itself on-farm?

The panel features Professor Craig Baillie, Head of School and Dean Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Southern Queensland, Andrew Bate, the CEO and Co-Founder, SwarmFarm Robotics, Ben Kelly, the Production Systems Manager – Production and Precision Ag, John Deere, and Robert Hardie, the Executive Manager - Health and Agriculture at nbn™ Australia.

Their conversation is facilitated by Jackie Poyser, CEO and Managing Director, Three60 Consulting.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Until recently there wasn’t a single Australian venture capital firm focussed on agritech. Today, there are multiple players. In this episode we explore two very different experiences - an Australian company that has leveraged government incentives and local funding, and an international company seeking local backing to enter the Australian and New Zealand marketplace.

Justin Webb, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, of AgriWebb facilitated this conversation and was joined by Phil Morle, Partner in Main Sequence Ventures, Kristi Riordan, the Co-founder & CEO of Harvest B, Saar Safra, Founder and CEO of Beewise and Robert Williams, Director, Artesian.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

It wasn't so long ago that space exploration was a pipe dream, but now in 2023, we're talking about the very real applications it has for Australian agriculture. Recorded live at evokeAG 2023, this panel discussion takes a deep dive into the future of agri space tech.

With a focus on research and development, potential ground-breaking applications and new ways of working, you'll hear from innovators about how this technology can be leveraged better here on earth, to support more sustainable and profitable farming practices.

It features Stephanie Wan, Space Industry Practice, Lead for the Adelaide Office, KPMG Australia and Devon Long, General Manager of ANZ, Regrow. The discussion is facilitated by Charlie Peel, a rural reporter with The Australian.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Australia and New Zealand's land-based agricultural industries have set ambitious sustainability targets for the future. In this episode we’ve got a reality check- looking beyond sustainability frameworks in agriculture, industry experts share the realities of their progress beyond frameworks and targets, what keeps them up at night, and how producers can be part of the solution.

Involved in this conversation is Michael Anderson, Head of Sustainability, GrainCorp, Bridgit Hawkins, Chief Sustainability Officer, CropX, and Anna Speer, Managing Director, Greenstock- Woolworths Group’s stand-alone red meat business. The panel is facilitated by The Australian’s Rural Reporter, Charlie Peel.

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

In this episode we’re uncovering the secret sauce to commercialisation- bringing together the key ingredients needed to transform agricultural technology from startup to fully fledged commercial player.

Syngenta is a provider of plant health solutions and Pairtree Intelligence is a data integrator - together their aligned partnership is adding value to farmers.

In this session from evokeAG fifth-generation farmer and CEO of Pairtree Intelligence, Hamish Munro and Brett Hofman, Head of Business Development, Syngenta Australia and New Zealand share some of the ingredients in their "secret sauce".

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Science and technology, coupled with an investment in skills and capability, need to be harnessed to empower farmers to shape the future of natural capital management and environmental reporting. This episode considers the innovation needed to enable natural capital to be treated as a factor of production in agriculture. It also explores the potential benefits and opportunities that can flow from investment in this.

Recorded live at evokeAG 2023 the discussion is facilitated by Chris Scheid, Director, ProAdvice, and includes Jen Barwick, National Climate and Nature Coordinator, Pew Charitable Trust, Dr Daniel Gregg, Founder and Principal Economist, Heuris Pty Ltd, and Dr Sue Ogilvy, the Program Director at the Macdoch Foundation (Farming for the Future Project).

Find more on this session at evokeag.com

*evokeAG 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Our growing ability to engineer biology with automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics is driving a biomanufacturing revolution.

This wide-ranging session looks at some of the most cutting-edge developments, from space ag’s push to enable long term space habitation and sustainability on Earth, to the fermentation advancements driving the wineries of the future, and new processing technology in dry fractionation for plant protein.

Brought to you by evokeAG Partner, The University of Adelaide, this workshop "Next gen: biomanufacturing for Earth, sustainability and space" was facilitated by Lieke van der Hulst, Executive Offer, Waite Research Institute and features four of the uni’s brightest minds.

We hope you enjoy these presentations from: Professor Rachel Burton, Head of the Food Science Department, Professor Vladimir Jiranek from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Robert Falconer, a Professor of Bioprocess Engineering and Associate Professor Jenny Mortimer, an expert in Plant Synthetic Biology in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

*evokeAG. 2023 examined how global agrifood innovation and tech intersect to drive change for our food, farmers, and the natural resources which sustain them.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 here*.

Government, industries and companies are stepping up their climate commitments and evokeAG. 2023 highlighted the opportunities and potential challenges for agriculture in tapping into the carbon market. A panel of experts working in this space argued there’s more than one way for farmers to cash in on soil carbon and climate friendly management practices, but that data is the key.

This session was facilitated by Oli Madgett and brings together Stuart Austin, General Manager Wilmot Cattle Co, Dr Nicole Buckley Biggs, Director of Sustainability, AgriWebb, Greg Butler, Managing Director Clean Carbon Pty Ltd and Dr Rob Waterworth, Co Founder and CEO FLINTPro.

Read more about the session and catch up on evokeAG highlights at evokeag.com.

The application of agritech is often positioned to improve operational efficiency, profitability and sustainability.

Industry is now leveraging on-farm data and infrastructure to provide a more robust end-to-end supply chain. In this session, experts from three of Australia’s leading agri-corporates discuss the peripheral value drivers that producers should consider in their pursuit of digitising their business.

In this episode, we hear from Dr Ben Baghurst is the Founder and Principal Consultant, AgTech Consulting, Mark Barber is theGeneral Manager, Farmland Agency and Investments for Elders, and Carmel Onions is the National Director Agribusiness for the Commonwealth Bank. Their discussion at evokeAG 2023 was facilitated by Michael Macolino, Managing Director, SVG Ventures Thrive.

Read more about the session here.

In this episode we’re bringing you a panel discussion from evokeAG. 2023 presented by our Silver Partner CommBank. In this session the panel of industry experts concluded that measurement is not only vital but can deliver great opportunity on and off farm.

Natasha Greenwood, General Manager Agribusiness, Commonwealth Bank facilitated the session and was joined by Dr Natalie Doran-Browne, Director of Science, Agricultural Emissions, FLINTpro, Tegan Nock, Co-founder and CPO, Loam, Robert Mackenzie, Managing Director, Macka’s Australian Black Angus Beef and Carmel Onions, National Director Agribusiness at the Commonwealth Bank.

Read about the session here.

David Downs has had a fascinating career that’s seen him on stage as a comedian, a published author; he’s worked in leadership roles with Microsoft in New Zealand and the Asia Pacific and held a portfolio of interests across international trade, technology, economic development and charitable causes. It’s these skills as a storyteller and a leader that has culminated in his latest role- the CEO of New Zealand Story.

In this episode, evokeAG contributor Jayne Cuddihy found there’s plenty Australia can learn from the other side of the ditch.

Save the date for evokeAG. 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG. 2023 here.

In recent years the global appetite for sustainably sourced seafood, fishery and aquaculture products has increased. So too has the focus on finding solutions to overcome some of the challenges associated with aquaculture seafood operations.

In this session facilitated by The Australian's National Rural Reporter, Charlie Peel industry leaders CH4 Australia General Manager, Dr Adam Main, Director of the not-for-profit Ocean Decade Australia, Dr Lucy Buxton and CEO of Austral Fisheries, David Carter discussed how the industry is faring (in turning a blue industry green) and which innovations are driving a circular approach to deliver on environmental, social and economic bottom lines.

Save the date for evokeAG 2024 on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia. In the meantime catch up on the other conversations about sustainability, climate resilience and the role of agtech in meeting those challenges from evokeAG 2023 at evokeag.com

From designing crops for fuel production, to creating programmable cells to fight disease, synthetic biology or SynBio is big business. There’s also big interest and big backing from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

In this session at evokeAG. 2023 four SynBio players (Dr Natalie Curach, Ginkgo Bioworks, George Peppou, Vow Foods, Dr Lisa Ronquest-Ross, v2foods, and Michele Stansfield, Cauldron Molecules) share their thoughts on the advances in the field, the applications and what it might mean on farm in the near future.

Read more about the session at evokeag.com

Elders is a platinum partner of the evokeAG event, and recognises the value in nurturing relationships across the entire international agricultural supply chain.

Elders' CEO Mark Allison has a strong vision for how Elders will continue to work with producers and industry to build a vibrant future.

This epsiode includes Mark's presentation at evokeAg 2023, but first, our contributer Jayne Cuddihy wanted to know a bit more about Mark and what has driven him to pursue a career in agriculture.

For more information on Elders and their other events, programs and opportunities visit elders.com.au

This week we bring you another evokeAG x Humans of Agriculture collaboration podcast, with Oli Le Lievre.

Oli chats with Dr Penny Schulz, the owner of a beef and sheep farm in Field, in the Coorong region of South Australia, who never thought she'd end up working in ag.

Fast forward a few decades and Penny has become a champion for the sector - researcher, university lecturer, industry advocate, agritech entrepreneur and most recently, evokeAG Steering Committee member.

Penny is a previous winner of the Rural Women’s Award (South Australia, 2014) and has a PhD in Rural Science from the University of New England (UNE) where she investigated the adoption of app technology by livestock producers. She is now the Livestock Production Specialist Adoption Officer for the University of Adelaide.

Penny credits her broad career to the fact that the ag sector by definition is not "set in stone, it's not prescriptive. In technology development it's called being agile, and with careers in ag you can change and build skills and take up opportunities".

Listen to her chat with Oli about the trajectory of her career, how she got into the agriculture sector, and how her home state is becoming the epicentre of agritech innovation.

Learn more about the Humans of Agriculture podcast and read Oli’s stories, here.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Tickets are SOLD OUT for the evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023. Find more details here, via evokeAG.com.

This week we bring you an episode with Dan Winson, Co-Founder and CEO of dynamic agritech company Zetifi.

Dan and Zetifi have been part of the evokeAG story since the beginning, and have made the most of the opportunities and connections established through the evokeAG. community.

Zetifi is a Wagga Wagga based company that provides farmers with greater connectivity through their long range Wi-FI coverage extension products. And in late 2022, Zetifi closed its $12 million series A funding round.

Dan says their products address a major barrier to the digitisation of agriculture and are recognised as a foundational technology that will unlock significant value from on-farm digital technologies in years ahead.

Zetifi will return to evokeAG. on 21-22 February 2023, exhibiting in Startup Alley.

Our contributor Emily Malone recently visited Dan at Zetifi’s Wagga headquarters and went into the paddock to see its products firsthand.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Meet Dan and the team at AgriFutures evokeAG. 2023 Down to Earth event on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia. Tickets are on sale here.

View the full two-day program, including all speakers and partners making evokeAG. 2023 possible.

Our global food system has a long history of evolution – responding to the changing needs of the global population. But "Are we evolving fast enough?"

In this evokeAG. podcast internationally recognised thought leader and AgriFutures evokeAG. 2023 speaker, Mary Shelman, speaks with contributor Casey Dunn about how we can accelerate our transformation, and achieve a more sustainable global food system.

Mary will also join a panel discussion on Day two at evokeAG. 2023 to explore the global forces driving world trade in a discussion about climate, COVID-19, conflict and cost.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

Hear more from Mary Shelman and her insights on achieving a sustainable global food system? Join us, at the AgriFutures evokeAG. 2023 Down to Earth event on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia. Tickets are on sale here.

View the full two-day program, including all speakers and partners making evokeAG. 2023 possible.

This week we bring you another evokeAG x Humans of Agriculture collaboration podcast, with Oli Le Lievre.

Oli catches up with Julia and Jordy Kaye, the founders of greatwrap, a Victorian based startup creating a biodegradable alternative to petroleum based plastic wraps using potato waste to replace plastic cling wrap in kitchens and on industrial pallets.

The circular economy business has attracted serious interest from investors, raising a $24 million Series A round in July 2022, including an $11 million equity portion. The funding has helped great rap to launch into us and scale up production in Australia with a bio refinery capable of manufacturing 30,000 tonnes of wrap, making great Wrap Australia's largest cling wrap manufacturer.

In this conversation, Oli speaks to Julia and Jordy about how an idea over a bottle of wine turned into a business that is set to shake up the plastic wrap industry.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Learn more about the Humans of Agriculture podcast and read Oli’s stories, here. And if you’re interested in joining us at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023 for the evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event or partnering, find more details here, via evokeAG.com.

This week we bring you our evokeAG x Food Futurists collaboration series with Professor Andy Lowe exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

In this episode, Andy catches up with Jenny Mortimer, Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at the University of Adelaide to explore the possibilities of Synthetic Biology (SynBio) and how it could help to grow plants and medicine for astronauts living and working in space.

Imagine fresh food growing in a space station – safe from cosmic radiation – to provide the nutritional needs and creature comforts, astronauts normally go without.
SynBio is an area playing a crucial role in addressing some of the key challenges, we face today, in outer space and here on Earth, such as making biodegradable plastics and increasing plant production in vertical farming to grow more food.

In this interview, Jenny explores the leaps and bounds of research and the challenges ahead, on the epic voyage of novel food production.

Hear more from Jenny at evokeAG. on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide. Secure your tickets at evokeag.com/events

This week we bring you a podcast from AgriFutures growAG, the gateway to Australia’s agrifood innovation system.
Our growAG contributor, Samantha Noon catches up with Tegan Nock, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Australian microbial tech startup, LoamBio, and Louisa Burwood-Taylor, Head of Media for Silicon Valley venture capital firm, AgFunder, and Chief Editor of AgFunder News – the go-to global investment news platform.
Together they explore the key investment trends and noteworthy funding rounds, from the recent AgFunder 2022 Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report, including LoamBio's Series A, Top 5 Aussie deal, worth $40million AUD, and what that means for Australian biotech going forward.
First Louisa, joins us from London, to help unpack the deal flow trends, including China's investment slump, India's blossoming market, where alt proteins are headed, and the growing calibre of innovative startups making their mark.

Visit growAG.com to read the full story, and visit AgFunder.com to download the investment report.

This week we bring you a podcast from Agrifutures growAG, the gateway to Australia’s agrifood innovation system, as we speak to Graeme Barnett the Managing Director & CEO of Qponics, a company that produces marine microalgae that is used for the co-production of protein-rich food ingredients and high-value oils.

Qponics successfully developed a pilot farm in Brisbane, and now has plans to build a complex of six farms, each 100 hectares in size at South Ballina, in NSW, a region deemed the “Goldilocks zone”, for marine microalgae farming in Australia.

The Queensland agritech company is currently seeking investment for a $1 million bridging round to help scale sustainable oil and protein production. It’s an exciting opportunity for impact investors and those with networks in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, or nutraceutical manufacturing and distribution in Australia, Asia, USA or Europe.

Our growAG contributor Judy Kennedy caught up with Graeme, to learn more about Qponics, their mission to accelerate the transition to droughtproof agriculture, and how the marine microalgae industry could become a major player in the future of protein production. Visit growAG.com to read the story, and learn more about this opportunity, here.

*Episode correction notesGraeme made two references throughout the podcast, he wanted to clarify. He talks about ESG (environmental, social, and governance) at 14.49mins and says “economic” instead of “environmental”. He also notes at 24mins, he says "TGA" instead of "FDA".

This week we bring you a podcast from AgriFutures evokeAG exploring an end-to-end agrifood production giant from the country’s West.

Owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, Harvest Road is part of one of Australia’s largest private investment groups, Tattarang. As a proud Western Australian agrifood producer, the company is plotting a course to rewrite the script when it comes to animal welfare and environmental sustainability across its three core brands delivering premium beef, seafood, and horticulture products.

Our AgriFutures evokeAG contributor, Megan Woodward caught up with Paul Slaughter, the CEO of Harvest Road, who believes anything is possible when innovative technology and a respect for heritage combine.
Read the full story, at evokeAG.com here.

Want to learn more about the Asia Pacific region’s innovative agrifood tech ecosystem? Join us at evokeAG on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia Tickets for evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth are now on sale at evokeAG.com/events.

This week we bring you another evokeAG x Humans of Agriculture collaboration podcast, with Oli Le Lievre.

Oli catches up with waste warrior and insect farming pioneer, Olympia Yarger, the CEO and Founder of Goterra, an agritech startup using robotics and black soldier flies to turn food waste into a protein source, used as animal feed and a nutrient-dense fertiliser.

Earlier this month, Olympia was announced as the 2023 ACT Australian of the Year for her contributions in dealing with climate change. Goterra’s food management system has processed more than 35,000 tonnes of waste and saved more than 66,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The modular biowaste converters have been a huge success for Sydney’s Barangaroo precinct in managing high-volume commercial and retail food waste. The Woolworths Group has also incorporated Goterra's solution into their business model to help achieve zero food waste going to landfill by 2025.

Here Olympia shares her story with Oli about how personal tragedy led to her traveling overseas and how those experiences helped shape who she is today and ultimately led to the creation of Goterra.

Learn more about the Humans of Agriculture podcast and read Oli’s stories, here. And if you’re interested in joining us at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023 for the evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event or partnering, find more details here, via evokeAG.com.

This week, we bring you another evokeAG x Food Futurists podcast collaboration with Professor Andy Lowe, exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

In this episode, Andy speaks with Tony Hunter, a Global Food Futurist and consultant at Future Cubed. Tony delves deep into what the future of food might look like and how the industry may be shaped in the coming years, as countries around the globe look to strengthen food security and food sovereignty, while pursuing sustainable outcomes.

He ponders the big ticket items, like how will conventional protein agriculture fair in the long run, with the emergence and growth of new protein industries such as cellular agriculture? And we learn about the high-impact emerging technologies catching his eye. It’s always a fascinating and informative chat with Tony, so please enjoy his conversation with Andy.

You can get in touch with Andy Lowe, via his website or LinkedIn and listen to his Food Futurists or Eco Futurists podcasts.

Interested in attending evokeAG 2023? Tickets are now on sale at evokeag.com/events

This week, we bring you our evokeAG. x Food Futurists collaboration series with Professor Andy Lowe, exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

In this episode, Andy speaks with Genevieve Griffin-George, evokeAG. 2020 Future Young Leader and Founder of PICMI, a digital recruiting platform that helps speed up the process of hiring seasonal workers and takes the stress away from growers in managing the HR process.

PICMI’s online tool reduces hiring time for growers by up to 70%, from application, contract, and right through to induction. Allowing growers to focus their valuable time elsewhere in their business.

It’s also a win-win for job-seekers, meaning they can find out more about the job before they apply and know in real time if they have been hired or not. This means less angst in having to wait days to find out if they've been successful in their application – that's been the case in more of a traditional setting.

We hope you enjoy their conversation about PICMI, the benefits for seasonal workers and growers, and how the evokeAG. 2020 Future Young Leader Program has shaped Genevieve’s journey and helped broaden her network as a startup.

You can get in touch with Andy Lowe, via his website or LinkedIn and listen to his Food Futurists or Eco Futurists podcasts. Visit evokeAG.com for more stories.

This week our evokeAG contributor, Ken Eastwood interviews two interesting characters from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, who have formed a partnership that’s benefiting both their businesses and the environment.

The first is Charlie Schmidt, head distiller at Kangaroo Island Spirits, who has overseen the rapid growth of the distillery – with a focus on making it more sustainable. The second is Elders stock agent Stuart Were, who has a small cattle operation on the island. He has begun feeding his cattle the waste malted barley from the distillery, preventing it from going to landfill. The cows are loving it, and it’s set to offer multiple benefits for the environment, including reducing methane emissions by livestock.

Elders are the Platinum Partner of evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event – where we will explore how farming, tech, science, and people collectively have the power to bring innovative ideas to life.

Interested in attending evokeAG. 2023? Come and see the Elders team in Adelaide, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Tickets are now on sale at evokeag.com/events

This week we bring you another evokeAG. x Humans of Agriculture podcast, as part of our collab series with Oli Le Lierve.

Throughout this series, we’ll shine a light on the people – from all walks of life – who make our global agrifood system so vibrant. We hear their stories of innovation, their diverse backgrounds, what drives them, and why shaping the future of food is so rewarding.

In this episode, Oli catches up with Angeline Achariya, the executive director of innovation and growth at Simplot Australia and also the Country Chair for Australia, Food Innovation for G100 Mission Million.

Here Angeline talks all things agrifood innovation, and product development. She shares some of the biggest changes that she has seen during her career, and the emerging trends that she thinks will have a major impact on future food production.

We hope you enjoy their conversation about the future of food and global innovation. Learn more about the Humans of Agriculture podcast and read Oli’s stories, here.

And if you’re interested in joining us at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023 for evokeAG. 2023 Down to Earth event or partnering, find more details here, via evokeAG.com.

In this Food Futurists x evokeAG. collaboration podcast we take a look into a sustainable greenhouse solution for hot and dry coastal regions, often where conventional agriculture would otherwise be impossible.

Professor Andy Lowe speaks to Charlie Paton, the founder of Seawater Greenhouse, a company that designs greenhouses that are powered by sunlight, utilise the seawater to water plants and also create a cooler and humid environment where plants can thrive and reduce evapotranspiration by up to 90%.

Seawater Greenhouse technology has been implemented in some of the hottest and driest places in the world, such as Abu Dhabi, Oman, Somaliland and here in Australia, in Port Augusta for sun drop farms.

Here, Andy and Charlie talk about the novel greenhouse design and other solutions to help tackle climate change within agriculture.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

You can get in touch with Andy Lowe, via his website or LinkedIn and listen to his Food Futurists or Eco Futurists podcasts.

Related podcasts: The Desert Oasis: Challenging the status quo to shape sustainable food systems

Enjoyed this podcast? Want to learn more about the Asia Pacific region’s innovative agrifood tech ecosystem? Sign up for our newsletter here and receive fresh stories about global leaders, farmers, startups and innovators driving collaborative change.

In this Food Futurists x evokeAG. collab podcast Professor Andy Lowe speaks with Dr Moria Smith, 'Digital Content Analysis Technology (D-CAT) Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer about D-CAT’s involvement with agriculture, the range of possibilities satellite sensor technology offers, from weight management, to optimising grazing cycles and yield predictions. And why integration and collaboration is the key in allowing farmers to better utilise this technology.

The space race to Mars is well and truly underway. But how are off world and satellite technologies helping with our lives here on earth? How are satellites visualising the health of crops and informing the optimal management of future automated farms?

Andy spoke with Moira earlier this year to learn more about CubeSats and their role in the democratisation of space, turning satellite imagery into actionable advice and the promise of radar and hyperspectral satellites to drive the next wave of agtech innovation.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

You can get in touch with Andy Lowe, via his website or LinkedIn and listen to his Food Futurists or Eco Futurists podcasts.

This week we bring you a podcast from AgriFutures growAG exploring the colossal challenge, which we face today, how to feed the world in 2050.

Did you know there’s a 56% gap between the amount of food we make today and what we're going to need globally by 2050?

Our AgriFutures growAG contributor, Megan Woodward caught up Phil Morle, Partner of Main Sequence Ventures, co-founded by CSIRO, and the leader of the ‘Feed 10 billion People’ challenge. Phil believes ‘radical collaboration' is going to be the key driver.

“The only way we’re going to be able to solve a problem the size of this one is to work together,” said Phil.

Main Sequence Ventures is now on the hunt for researchers, innovators, and inventors developing ground-breaking ideas that could become globally significant companies.

If that sounds like you, head to growAG.com to learn more about Main Sequence Ventures 'Feed 10b People' challenge.

Today we bring you our evokeAG. x Food Futurists collaboration series with Professor Andy Lowe, exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

Here Andy speaks with Peter Wren-Hilton, the CEO of Wharf42 a consultancy specialising in connecting local and international partners – particularly NZ startups and early-stage agritech companies – to support the Trans-Tasman agritech sector scale its global presence.

Peter is also the Founder of Agritech New Zealand, Convenor of the 2035 Oceania Summit and works closely with the AgriFutures evokeAG Steering Committee.

Andy caught up with Peter back in May this year to learn more about the 2035 Oceania Summit, set to take place on 10-11 October 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The 2035 Oceania Summit has been designed to enable the region’s scientific and research community, its industry leaders, agribusiness and agritech companies, farmers and growers, regulators and policymakers to meet and discuss how agrifood tech innovation and on-farm application can help address the existential threat posed by climate change.

We hope you enjoy their conversation. You can listen to more Food Futurists podcasts here. And if you're interested in attending the 2035 Oceania Summit, please register at 2035.ag

The 2035 Oceania Summit is offering special offer ticket prices for Australian delegates looking to attend the event from 10-11 October 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand (use the code AUS2035). Early-bird tickets end on 15 August. If you are interested in being part of an Australia delegation please contact AgriFutures growAG Engagement Manager, David Lord, via growAG.com

This week we bring you an important conversation about bees, the lifeblood of the food chain – responsible for pollinating one third of Australia’s food – and why protecting their existence, in the midst of a national biosecurity threat, the varroa mite, has never been of greater importance.

Our AgriFutures evokeAG contributor Casey Dunn caught up with David Lyall, a commercial beekeeper, and CEO and Co-Founder of Bee Innovative, an Australian agritech startup revolutionising the centuries-old practice of commercial pollination.

The groundbreaking technology gives growers a real-time insight into how well bees are pollinating a crop, enabling interventions that boost yield, quality, and profitability.

Learn more about Bee Innovative at evokeAG.com or connect with David and Kate Lyall at AgriFutures evokeAG 2023 event in Adelaide, 21-22 February 2023.

This week we bring you another evokeAG x Humans of Agriculture collaboration podcast with Oli Le Lievre.

We hear from Anna Speer, the Managing Director of Woolworths' red meat business, Greenstock about what it's like working at the forefront of innovation and managing red meat supply chains during a pandemic – with agility top of mind.

We learn about the importance of bringing people together, communication, and mentorship – and how work-life balance helps Anna drive meaningful change for the agrifood industry.

We're also excited to announce, Anna Speer will be a speaker at the AgriFutures evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event, held in Adelaide, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023.

If you're interested in joining us at the two-day, full-scale, global event or partnering, visit evokeAG.com for more details.

As the largest agricultural research and development organisation in the world, Bayer Crop Science is at the forefront of innovation.

And to stay ahead of the curve, Bayer is collaborating with organisations outside of their own to unearth the next big breakthrough in science to advance agriculture.

Our AgriFutures growAG contributor, Megan Woodward caught up with Phil Taylor, the Director of Open Innovation and Outreach for Bayer Crop Science, back in May to learn about their approach to unlocking ‘cool innovation’ and how growAG is helping to harness these novel solutions that will benefit growers around the world, including Australia.

Phil believes external partnering is the driving force for innovation.

We hope you enjoy their conversation. And if you’d like to learn more about Bayer’s Grants4Ag program offering three unique opportunities for funding and mentorship, visit the AgriFutures growAG platform at growAG.com. Applications close 31 July.

This week we catch up with the CEO of Wine Australia, Dr Martin Cole.

As one of Australia’s 15 Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) – Wine Australia has been charging ahead with exciting agritech innovations to ensure Australia’s viticulture industry continues to thrive, off the back of a challenging period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martin is optimistic about the future and believes innovation is key. Here our AgriFutures growAG contributor Megan Woodward speaks with Martin about Wine Australia's innovation and R&D approach to exciting possibilities like low and no alcohol products.

Wine Australia has been working with growAG to take industry solutions to the next level. As Martin explains growAG has been a fantastic connector and accelerator for innovation within the industry.

We hope you enjoy their conversation. And if you’d like to learn more about Wine Australia's innovative work, visit growAG.com and take a look at Wine Australia’s profile.

This week we learn about the possibilities of space exploration, the benefits for agriculture and why global collaboration is so important – given that it’s expensive work.

Our evokeAG contributor Oli Madgett speaks with Earth observation scientist, Hugh Mortimer who leads the UK’s Global Research Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program, which recently visited Australia.

We hear about the collaborative work between the UK and Australia and why jointly funded space research will have a long-term benefit on agriculture and dealing with climate change. Think farm mapping, measuring above-ground biomass, bodies of water, climate and disaster forecasting and remote sensing.

We hope you enjoy their conversation and the exciting potential for a valuable bilateral science program.

This week we bring you an interview with a young trailblazer and an evokeAG Future Young Leader Alumni, George Chapman.

George was selected back in 2020, to be part of the AgriFutures evokeAG Future Young Leader Program, where he took to the stage at evokeAG in Melbourne, to talk about the importance of soil health and share part of his regenerative agriculture journey.

Originally from Coraki on the Northern Rivers, George now lives on the edge of the Nairobi National Park in Kenya, where he runs an organic broiler chicken farm and uses regenerative practices at his family's safari lodge 'Ololo Farm', where he also trains and educates Kenya's youth in organic and regenerative farming practices.

Here he shares his experience from the evokeAG Future Young Leaders Program, and how it helped him expand his network and shape his agricultural journey.

We hope you enjoy their conversation and if you or someone you know, would like to be a part of the evokeAG. 2023 Future Young Leaders Program, head to evokeAG.com to find out more. Applications close Sunday 3 July 2022.

Today we bring you our evokeAG. x Food Futurists collaboration series with Professor Andy Lowe, exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

Buckle up for Andy’s conversation with David Farquhar, a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Scottish agritech company, Intelligent Growth Solutions – a trailblazer of vertical farming, in a class of its own.

Imagine a precision-controlled indoor environment where plants can thrive all year round without soil, with an energy system that mimics real sunlight and seasonality.

These one-of-a-kind fully-automated modular Growth Towers are being used by food producers, businesses, and farmers all over the world, and soon the first solar-powered commercial-scale farm in Perth, Australia will house the tech solution at Eden Towers.

Learn more about this ground-breaking solution and the opportunities for farmers and re-localising supply chains with Andy Lowe and David Farquhar.

Show note: Watch the 'Blood Sweat and Dreams' film David refers to and go to 11.53mins to see IGS feature > https://bloodsweatanddreams.economist.com/film1/

Renowned as one of Australia’s most productive food bowls, the Goulburn Valley is abundantly rich in produce and teeming with innovation opportunities set to benefit a range of agrifood businesses.

To continue driving the region’s productivity, the NorvicFoods project was launched, with the University of Melbourne and Sensand Technologies to work with the community to solve key issues facing agrifood businesses in the value chain and nurture the connection of university graduates to agriculture.

Davi La Ferla, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Sensand Technologies, a key partner in the project, speaks with growAG. contributor, Judy Kennedy about the possible innovations set to rejuvenate Victoria’s Hume region and why human-centered and tech-enabled solutions will help to maximise business outcomes.

If you're an agribusiness in the Goulburn Valley with an industry challenge you'd like solved, you can submit applications via growAG.com here. Expressions of Interest close in December 2022.

This week we bring you another Humans of Agriculture x evokeAG. podcast, as part of our collaboration series with Oli Le Lievre.

Here Oli speaks with Mike Lee, a global food futurist based in the US, about the possibilities of our future food system and what that may look like in five to 25 years – and how better connections between farmers and consumers is key to agricultural prosperity.

As Co-Founder of Alpha Food Labs – a food innovation company that helps other companies create innovation strategies and new products that are better for people, planet, and palate – and Founder of the Future Market, a futurist food lab, Mike's experience in food design and innovation is incredibly diverse.

We hope you enjoy their conversation about the future of food, farming and deep thinking to drive innovation.

This week we take a look at the National Farmers Federation Data code and how it is helping farmers and tech companies better navigate data governance.

The NFF’s Data code was designed as a starting point for discussion between the farmer and the service provider about how data will be treated, in order to give producers legal assurances around how their data is going to be used, shared, stored and secured.

Our evokeAG. contributor Oli Madgett explores this issue with Andrea Koch, the chair of the NFF Data Code working group, and Hamish Munro, CEO of PairTree Intelligence, an agnostic and independent dashboarding platform, specialising in integrating data between hardware and software companies.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

This week, we take a look at how data is helping farmers make better decisions and improve their operations. Data capture and ensuring its protection and usability is key to maximising its value for farmers and agritech vendors.

Data interoperability is one of the key challenges for the agricultural industry when transferring data between different systems and platforms. Building community consensus around agreed data specifications and standards will be key in harnessing the true value of data and help to accelerate industry innovation.

Our evokeAG. contributor Oli Madgett explores this important issue with Andrew Cooke, Founder and Managing Director of Rezare Systems, and Andrew Skinner, the Director of digital and data systems consultancy firm, More than Machines.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Today we launch our evokeAG. x Food Futurists collaboration series with Professor Andy Lowe, a highly acclaimed and innovative research leader at the University of Adelaide exploring solutions today that will help drive sustainable food systems tomorrow.

Andy's first conversation with Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and Managing partner of Tenacious Ventures explores the rise of digital agriculture, breaking down industrial era mindsets, and why 'becoming makers, not just takers of agritech' is so important for Australia's blossoming agritech industry and early adopter farmers.

Working at the frontier of agrifood tech innovation, Andy draws upon a wealth of knowledge throughout the series – speaking with industry heavyweights like Sarah about the future of food – from new-age seawater greenhouses to soil microbe technologies and everything in between.

We hope you enjoy their conversation. Listen to more Food Futurists podcasts here.

This week we learn about Western Australia’s famed marron crayfish and how it could become the next global food sensation.

Aquatic AI, an aquaculture tech startup is leading this charge, with a fully-automated, vertical aquaculture system to ensure a consistent supply [at scale] of this tasty crustacean for premium export markets – in collaboration with the University of Western Australia.

With the support of AgriFutures Australia’s Emerging Industries Program, Andrew Walker and Michael Storey, the Co-Founders of Aquatic AI are seeking commercial investors to help research and develop a scaled aquaculture supply chain for marron to rival the iconic WA rock lobster industry.

Here our growAG. contributor Judy Kennedy learns more about the robotic technology and the nutritionally balanced diet developed to optimise the taste and size of the famed marron crayfish, when grown in an intensive system.

Aquatic AI's research will not only help to produce seafood with a small environmental footprint but serves to benefit all marron farmers and aquaculture more broadly.

This week we share our chat with James Madden, the Founder and CEO of Flinders + Co – the first meat company in the world to become completely carbon neutral back in December 2018.

James isn’t afraid to share his failures – in fact, it’s what led to new business opportunities for the Australian carbon neutral meat supplier.

Our evokeAG. Editor, Samantha Noon speaks with James about the demand for carbon-neutral products, consumers' purchasing behaviours and the path-to-market in the highly competitive shelves of major retailers, like Coles.

James’ willingness to share his learnings, as well as his successes, has been a welcome conversation on platforms like LinkedIn. Here we learn more about the evolution of Flinders + Co in a rapidly changing market and why embracing “failure culture” could lead to greater innovation and success for Australian startups.

We’re excited to launch our first-ever Humans of Agriculture x evokeAG. podcast collaboration series with Oli Le Lievre.

Throughout this series, we’ll shine a light on the people – from all walks of life – who make our global agrifood system so vibrant. We hear their stories of innovation, their diverse backgrounds, what drives them, and why shaping the future of food is so rewarding.

Join us for Oli's first deep-dive conversation with John Harvey, AgriFutures Australia’s Managing Director about his career in agriculture from Sydney to Wagga Wagga, his unwavering focus on connecting the dots between innovation, commercialisation, and research and development – and the incredible opportunities on offer in agriculture and how we should position agriculture to attract the next generation.

This week we speak to Justin Webb, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of AgriWebb, on how the farm management technology is supporting farmers to share their sustainability stories to global consumers – and earn premium prices for practices backed by verified data.

Over the past seven years as AgriWebb has expanded they’ve seen 'remarkable adoption' from farmers and ranchers around the world. AgriWebb’s platform now boasts over 18 million head of livestock, across 150 million acres, worth $400 billion in agricultural assets. Justin said, “It’s become the singular digital platform that moves our industry forward.”

Join our evokeAG. Senior Manager, Pip Grant as they delve deep into conversation about creating a more profitable, efficient and sustainable future.

This week we speak to Agronomeye, an Australian agritech startup, giving farmers a razor-sharp 3D view of their farm using ultra-high-resolution imagery to create a groundbreaking farm-scale ‘digital twin.’

Agronomeye's AgTwin platform came to life through a collaboration with innovation heavyweights, Microsoft and CSIRO.

And it's helping optimise on-farm decision-making with advanced modelling capabilities and dynamic overlays that enable farmers to observe and understand the risks and opportunities unique to their property.

From yield to soil data, weather, hydrology, and livestock movements, the platform enables all manner of software and hardware integrations.

It's like your very own Sims – but for farmers. Here our evokeAG. contributor Casey Dunn, catches up with Agronomeye’s Co-Founder and CEO Stu Adam, to learn more.

From stone fruit to apples, Rubens Technologies is empowering fruit farmers to fetch the top dollar for their premium products, using AI prediction technology.

Understanding and assessing fruit quality in a more timely, and far less intrusive way – is the solution Daniel Pelliccia, the CEO and Co-Founder of Rubens Technologies, has been testing vigorously and is ready to take to market.

Combining a hand-held scanner with machine learning analytics, users can scan fruit pre- or post-harvest and obtain real-time information that will help future-proof market outcomes and dictate quality downstream.

Here Megan Woodward chats with Daniel about their insightful pilots in Australia and Southeast Asia and what’s next for the successful agritech startup.

This week we catch up with Mark Allison, the CEO of one of Australia’s largest agribusinesses, Elders.

Mark spoke at evokeAG. in Melbourne, back in 2020 – a time before Australia and the world were plunged into lockdown due to COVID-19. At the time, Australia had suffered one of its worst droughts on record and bushfires had ravaged large parts of the community.

Now as Australia starts to emerge from the pandemic to the ‘new normal’ and with the agricultural sector booming; Mark shares with us his optimism for the future of Australian agriculture, and how profitability, productivity, and sustainability will be key drivers for the industry going forward.

We hope you enjoy Mark's conversation with our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward.

This week we speak with Naeem Zafar who made the Silicon Valley home 25 years ago and in that time, he’s founded seven companies and invested in, and advised on, more than 30. Until four years ago though, he’d had very little to do with agriculture, let alone attempting to produce tech to solve problems for the sector.

An electrical engineer by trade, now Naeem is single-handedly disrupting the post-harvest agricultural industry through his machine learning and Internet of Things solution, TeleSense that’s helping growers predict the quality of crops in storage and transit – and provide real actionable insights.

And it’s all thanks to a sliding doors moment involving a group of Australian executives on the east and west coast, searching for storage solutions for the grain industry.

Here our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward explores the many benefits of this wireless sensing and predictive analytics solution and what’s next.

Matt Newell, a perennial cereals research officer with NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) sees a very big future for perennial wheats in Australia.

With the support of AgriFutures Australia, the duo have established an early-stage cluster of researchers and industry end-users to guide development of this new crop to target the premium artisan grain market.

Delivering improved sustainability, on-farm profitability, and nutritional outcomes – perennial wheats have everyone from mixed farmers to artisan brewers and bakers excited.

Here our evokeAG. contributor Casey Dunn speaks with Matt Newell about its rising potential.

Today we hear from the Queensland AI Hub about the endless opportunities that Artificial Intelligence offers the Australian tech industry and how we can make the most of it.

AI is already creating exponential impact globally, and locally for our food and fibre supply chain, by alleviating workforce and labour shortages – a problem for Australian and global agriculture.

Here our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward speaks with Queensland AI Hub's CEO, Sue Keay, about how AI and robotics can help take the pressure off the agrifood industry and why it's important the government and industry support the Australian tech industry to become world leaders and firmly plant Australians as makers, not just takers, of tech.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

With more than 40 years in the venture capital game, Andy Ziolkowski – the Managing Director of US-based food and agriculture-focused venture capital firm, Cultivian Sandbox and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cultivian Ventures – knows a good investment when he sees one.

With evokeAG. 2022 around the corner Andy reflects on the bounty of opportunities in food and agriculture coming out of Australia, the important connections he’s made on his past visits, like the 2020 evokeAG. Investor Dinner, and why co-investing with Australian founders, with local knowledge, has been critical for success.

Here he shares his experiences and advice for startups seeking to stand out from the pack, with our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward. We hope you enjoy their conversation.

This week we speak to renowned angel investors Rachael Neumann and Kylie Frazer who joined forces to launch Flying Fox Ventures. After meeting at an industry dinner three years ago, both agree it was professional love at first sight, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Flying Fox is an early-stage venture capital firm looking to back early-stage startups to help growth and scale – and for more than a year now, the duo has seen no shortage of capital available or amazing opportunities to back, despite the global pandemic.

Their high-conviction and diversified portfolio includes everything from sensor technology for preg-testing cattle to a non-alcoholic beer – but Kylie admits they have a ‘soft spot’ for agritech.

Our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward caught up with both Kylie and Rachael, to learn more about Flying Fox, what makes a great partnership and why timing is everything.

Plastic is a remarkable material, but the planetary impact has never truly been costed. While its indestructible makeup has served a multitude of benefits, it has simultaneously eroded the health of our environment.

An ambitious UK spinout, Xampla has developed a next-generation plant-based alternative to replace single-use plastics and microplastics. The best part is the plant-protein-based plastic is simply metabolised when it hits the ocean or soil, offering a much safer end-to-life story.

Xampla CEO, Simon Hombersley caught up with our evokeAG. contributor Casey Dunn to talk about plant protein production, circular economies and what it's like building a business for a post-plastic world in 2040.

This week, we catch up and explore the collaboration between two agritech leaders; Phil Tickle, Co-Founder of Cibo Labs and David Smith, Co-Founder of Ceres Tag.

The pair attended Beef Week 2021, where David officially launched Ceres Tag – the world’s first direct to satellite animal tracking and data platform.

Since then, both companies have integrated their systems, to provide livestock farmers with valuable information on the health and location of animals, along with available pasture and feed in paddocks, an area that Cibo Labs specialises in.

As Phil says, “Collaboration is the key," when it comes to agritech adoption, in the way technology is being made and being delivered to the end-user.

Our regular evokeAG. contributor Judy Kennedy caught up with the pair to learn more about their partnership. Read the full story here.

This week we take a close look at a fruitful partnership between farmer and agritech founder. Our regular evokeAG. contributor Judy Kennedy speaks with Dan Winson, Founder and CEO of Zetifi a wireless networking startup and Andrew Dumaresq, a broadacre cropping farmer, both based at Wagga Wagga, NSW. It’s a partnership that's evolved and provided a win-win situation for both Dan and Andrew.

Dan has been able to test and trial his products on Andrew’s farm, learning along the way and Andrew has been able to solve his initial on-farm connectivity issues, along with adopting new technologies, as a result of reliable connectivity.

Here the duo discuss their journey in working together, the importance of connectivity on-farm and how it's helping piece together the puzzle, to support agritech adoption.

This week, we speak to Emma Weston, CEO and Co-Founder of AgriDigital about blockchain technology, how it’s evolved and used across agricultural industries today, specifically grains, and how it’s empowering farmers to access value beyond the farm gate.

AgriDigital’s recent integration of its farmer product, Waypath with Geora, a blockchain solutions-based company, is supporting this goal. The integration enables growers to generate a digital record of their grain inventory on the blockchain when they make a delivery, which provides greater traceability and finance security.

Our regular evokeAG. contributor Judy Kennedy caught up with Emma Weston to learn more about the partnership between AgriDigital and Geora and how tech stack integrations like this, are helping to ease the barriers to adoption – and at the end of the day, solve problems across the supply chain.

We hope you enjoy their conversation.

This week we speak with George Peppou, the Co-Founder and CEO of Vow, a Sydney-based cultured proteins startup – cultivating a new food category.

Vow is building a library of cells from a range of exotic animal species, both domesticated and undomesticated, to mix and match properties to explore what flavours, textures and nutritional profiles might best appeal to consumers.

George openly discloses, he is a meat eater and enjoys a steak every once in a while. But Vow doesn't intend to copy the most commonly eaten meats: chicken, pork and beef. He concludes, “It’s about giving consumers options.”

Our evokeAG. contributor Judy Kennedy caught up with George, to talk about the cultured meat revolution, the startup's global production plans and how COVID-19 has helped to accelerate biotech innovation. Read the story here.

Two years ago, Batlow, NSW was devastated by one of Australia’s worst bushfire seasons on record. Our evokeAG. host and fellow farmer, Stephen Honner caught up with Ian Cathels, Manager of Ardrossan Orchards, at their Woodburn orchard, in the middle of their fruit picking season – to see firsthand their progress and how new technology is driving on-farm efficiencies.

Stephen and Ian speak about the season, the challenges of adopting new technology, and the lessons about a new app Ian is using called Phytec that’s helping Ian make better on-farm decisions around irrigation and ensuring he stays on track to hit his targets for the fruit market.

As the Managing Partner of Omnivore – the largest and oldest player in the Indian agritech venture scene – Mark Kahn understands what it takes to really ‘make it’ after building a venture capital firm from the ground up that’s pioneered agritech investing in India.

Omnivore boasts a portfolio of more than 25 agritech startups in an economy where agriculture and agribusiness account for a quarter of India’s GDP.

There are around 130 million farmers in India – and while some challenges may differ to here in Australia, India's agritech boom offers great opportunities for Australian startups to work with India on agritech, related to water and drought resilience.

Our evokeAG contributor, Megan Woodward caught up with Mark to learn more about the Indian landscape and advice for Aussie startups looking to export.

Read the story here.

Did you know $20 billion of food is wasted in Australia every year? Globally, that figure is closer to $1 trillion. But how can we improve supply-chain management if we don’t know what, or where the problems are?

Australian agritech startup, Escavox has a solution. It's a little blue box tracker, described as CCTV for food, that’s placed in a fresh food carton at the point of packing and travels through the supply chain capturing data on dwell time, temperature and location.

It uses real-time monitoring that’s helping to cut food waste, protect premiums and improve market access for Australian farmers.

Escavox’s focus to date has been on Australia, starting with horticulture in 2019, moving into the meat sector in 2020 and early seafood trials starting in 2021. Now they’ve set their sights on expansion into international export markets like southern Africa and South America.

We caught up with Luke Wood, CEO, and Co-Founder of Escavox, to learn more about this technology, the wide-reaching benefits for our agricultural sectors and what the next phase of growth looks like. Read more here.

This week, Oli Madgett, grape grower and Founder of Platfarm, talks with Sarah Nolet from AgThentic about the future forces impacting agriculture, taking a longer look at how climate volatility will not only usher in migration of people, but also shifts in growing regions and methods for production.

While no one can predict the future, AgriFutures Australia, Agthentic Advisory, and the Institute for the Future have teamed up to release a report that explores what Australian food and fibre production and consumption might look like in a future shaped by the growing trends and potential disruptions that are already taking hold today.

Learn more about the possibilities and our ten-year horizon for Australian agriculture here.

This week we speak with Robert Waterworth, CEO of FLINTpro; a new venture that is leveraging a growing pool of innovative environmental data technologies to help its users rapidly calculate, track and forecast greenhouse gas emissions from changes across the global land sector.

In a time where natural capital accounting is becoming hugely important in addressing the challenges of climate change, FLINTpro’s software simplifies data presentation and empowers policymakers, business leaders, and investors to take action.

Our evokeAG. contributor Oli Madgett caught up with Robert to discuss the FLINTpro journey and find out why now is the time for FLINTpro.

We follow Flurosat’s journey into the US with CEO and Founder Anastasia Volkova, a young and vibrant aeronautical engineer, 2019 evokeAG. speaker and all-around star for Australian agriculture. She talks us through their market approach and early learnings, requiring a swift expansion of crop varieties to meet US farmers’ needs – now capable of monitoring any type of crop grown on Earth.

The Australian crop monitoring startup now covers 10 million hectares in 45 countries – a huge uplift from 15 countries in 2019, but it hasn't been without its challenges.

Anastasia's number one tip for startups is to be targeted. “Don't tackle the US as one country, think of it as 50 different states.”

Read more about her experience and opportunities in the US here.

Ceres Tag’s world-first direct to satellite smart ear tag will equip farmers with sophisticated data to better manage their livestock, reduce risk and confidently finance agriculture. With a head start on trials in the US, Canada and Switzerland, a global e-commerce launch around the corner and SVG Ventures’ THRIVE Australia Challenge 2020 award under their belt – the sky’s the limit for the Queensland-based startup.

CEO & Co-Founder David Smith speaks with us about its potential, advice for startups, and the benefits farmers can expect – who eagerly await its rollout. Read the full story here.

Perth agritech startup, SWAN Systems’ innovative approach to water management has received global recognition as Rabobank’s FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 agtech winner. The multi-faceted solution provides a ‘data playbook’ for users across the globe to save precious resources year-on-year and achieve better yields at lower costs.

We caught up with SWAN Systems’ Rod Campbell to learn more about the tech, what the award means for business going forward and what opportunities exist for expansion in the US. Rabobank’s FoodBytes!’ Nathalie Gibson also joins the conversation to talk global agritech trends, rising investment amid COVID-19 and opportunities for startups.

Read the full story here.

Wilmot Cattle Co’s pioneering carbon credit deal with Microsoft has caught the attention of farmers, investors, corporates and everyone in between – proving that carbon farming can in fact be profitable, when measured. Stuart Austin shares his advice for others seeking to monetise their natural capital and reduce on-farm risk.

Read his story here.

Back in 1975, intangible assets accounted for 17% of corporate value, today they account for 90%.

To paint a rich picture of the largely unknown world of intangible assets, we dive deep into conversation with EverEdge Assets Managing Director, Michael Masterson, Tim Hyde, CEO and Founding Director of Swan Systems and Massimo Garbuio, Associate Professor of Sydney University’s Business School to explore the risks, rewards and real-life viewpoints.

We find out what intangible assets really are, how they’re valued and why agrifood companies need to safeguard these assets.

Dynamic duo: Zetifi and AuctionsPlus, join forces to change the way livestock auctions are run, that’s fetching higher prices in the saleyards and greater productivity in the paddock.

We catch up with Angus Street, CEO of AuctionsPlus, Australia’s go-to online auction platform for agricultural and livestock sales, and Dan Winson, Founder & CEO of Zetifi, a wireless networking startup, based in Wagga Wagga, where they design and manufacture long range wireless repeaters.

Together, they're offering greater connectivity for users across regional Australia.

We caught up with Ben Wynn, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Wynergy, a Tamworth-based solar energy startup, on a mission to transform Australia's solar power industry with its unique agrivoltaic design.

With the innovative design, farmers will be able to run livestock and plant pastures in and around their solar panels. It's a partnership between solar companies and farmers that helps to solve the land use conflict by allowing both industries to co-exist.

Fifth-generation livestock farmer and AgriWebb co-founder, Justin Webb shares his lessons on launching an Australian startup in the UK, how to access capital in complex economies and why knowing your market is everything.

Justin reflects on the learnings and the wealth of knowledge trade agencies can provide to ensure a smooth transition, with Austrade’s Senior Advisor and agtech lead, Arianna Sippel and the UK's Department for International Trade’s Director for Investment for Australia and New Zealand, Tess Thomas – who says AgriWebb is a textbook case for the bespoke advice offered free by the agency.

Taking the first step to going global can be intimidating for any agritech business but there’s plenty of support to ensure a ‘soft landing’ – if you do your homework.

So where do Australian startups, SMEs and scaleups look first to ensure a smooth passage into international waters?

Well, the best place to start is right here at home, through trade agencies that offer tangible support and market research – and it’s free.

Whether businesses are seeking financial support, tracking down contacts or looking for hard-to-find information, there’s a plethora of tools to keep the journey on track.

So we've teamed up with Austrade and the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) to learn more about what this journey looks like, and how exactly trade agencies can help you expand your footprint and make meaningful global connections.

We hear more about this from Arianna Sippel, Austrade’s senior advisor and agtech lead and Tess Thomas, UK’s DIT director of investment for Australia and New Zealand who recently caught up with Lyndsey Douglas in Sydney.

On the edge of the desert in South Australia’s Port Augusta, vegetables grow abundantly, in a landscape once deemed, near impossible for food production.

Now 15,000 tonnes of truss tomatoes thrive all year round, bringing life to the desert, using nothing but sunlight and seawater, known as concentrated solar power technology.

This ‘Utopian’ concept is led by Sundrop Farms, where people, planet and profit all come together in a holistic model, founded with food security and sustainability front of mind.

We recently caught up with Sundrop Farms to learn more about how this futuristic system all works.

A kaleidoscope of space-based tech designed to enhance precision agriculture and foster efficient food production is ready for take-off so how do we drive adoption?

AgriFutures Australia and the Australian National University have been working on a groundbreaking study to uncover answers to this very question – and the research shows space-based technologies could be worth $750 million to Australian agriculture by 2025.

We caught up with the key industry players helping drive this force – where space tech and farming collide to learn more about the challenges, and opportunities, that lie ahead.

Impact investing is rapidly growing as investors turn to companies that can provide a positive social and environmental impact as well as a financial return.

In Australia, it's a whopping $20 billion market.

But, what does impact investing really mean for the future of food, how is it different from other forms of investment and where should startups channel their energy to cash in on this capital?

We teamed up with industry heavyweights to find these answers;

Michael Dean - Founder of AgFunder
Sarah Nolet - Co-Founder of Tenacious Ventures
Rachael Yang - Investment Manager of Giant Leap
Kylie Frazer - Co-Founder of Eleanor Venture

Did you know Kakadu plum has the highest Vitamin C content of any food on Earth? Yet only 10% of Kakadu plum is currently being harvested.

Meet Hayley Blieden, founder of The Australian Superfood Co who is helping cultivate a growing appetite for Australian native foods with the launch of the Native Harvest Initiative, designed to support Indigenous communities, local growers and scale native produce supply.

Tune in to learn more about the incredible value of Australia’s native bush foods and Hayley’s grand plans to foster sustainable growth.

This week we talk to Food Futurist Tony Hunter. Tony has had a long and extensive career in the food industry and has seen a lot of change along the way.

He specialises in studying and predicting new and emerging trends, particularly agrifood tech, and how such technologies will influence current food businesses and help solve future food security challenges.

Get a taste for what’s to come and why food personalisation and wellness are more important than ever.

This week we talk to Matthew Pryor, co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, Australia's first dedicated agrifood venture capital firm and Olympia Yarger, founder and CEO of Goterra, a biotech waste management startup.

Tenacious Ventures recently announced its first co-led investment – worth $8-million – into Goterra that is set to transform the robot-managed modular insect farms, which convert waste into a valuable commodity for livestock.

Olympia and Matthew share their journey and the importance of building fruitful relationships geared to drive positive change and profitability.

Replay of a panel discussion from evokeAG 2020 in Melbourne.

Alternative protein products do have the potential to disrupt the food system. However, there are enormous opportunities to coexist. Hear from the people in the paddock, the lab and the fields who are approaching traditional and new proteins differently.

This episode features;

Ethy Levy, Bridge Hub
Nick Hazell, V2 Food
James Madden, Flinders and Co
Jennifer Medway, Agrifutures

Today we went on the Farm to chat with sheep farmer Mark Mortimer. Mark runs a Merino Stud called Centre Plus and discussed what's happening on the farm now, what technology he's currently using and what technology he's looking forward to having into the future.

Fleur catches up with Brad Jones (Bungulla Farms) at evokeAG. and talks about evolving technologies, the process of bringing agtech on farm.

Ian Reilly (e-Shepherd by Agersens) explains that their new product is in the early-adoption phase and they are at a stage where they are getting a greater understanding of their customer's, the farmer's, needs.

Bruce Creek (Thomas Elder Consulting) talks about what he thinks we need to consider when making agtech adoption work and his observations over the last 12-months.

Darryn Keiller (AutoGrow) talks about how Autogrow has changed how solutions are developed for growers utilising crop science, data and A.I

Replay of a panel discussion from evokeAG 2020 in Melbourne.

Cutting-edge precision farming and innovative science can increase sustainability, yields and profits and allow farmers to build long term strategies to future-proof their enterprise. Discover how tech and lab based solutions can successfully impact everyday farming.

This episode features;

Darren Hughes, CEO of Laconik
Aidan Connolly, CEO of Cainthus
Dr Kelly Pearce, Research Scientist, Wheatbelt Science
Professor Jennie Pryce, Principal Research Scientist, Agriculture Victoria

What will a future farmer look like? What jobs will they perform? What skills will that will entail and who else will bring expertise to the management of farm activities?
What skills do our farmers of the future need?
As the world’s population grows so to do the pressures of farmers to produce more. Farmers of the future will need more innovation, efficiencies and smarter minds to meet the demand for food. It's envisaged this will see more skillsets and unique knowledge applied to food and agriculture sectors. And there’s a fresh crop of Millennials who’re not afraid to think outside of the square and try new things. q

This episode we delve into the advantages of new protein markets and the rise of plant based meats.In February 2020 an AgriFutures Australia report: The Changing Landscape of Protein Production; opportunities and challenges for Australian agriculture, identified the rise of alternative proteins in food markets garnering much attention over the past 18 months.It states that forecast global demand for protein is strong and will accommodate for growth in both sectors and although alternative protein substitution will continue to increase over the next 10 years this increase will not produce any material threat to the viability of animal agriculture by 2030.The figures in this report estimate that the additional opportunity for the protein market in 2030 is estimated at $19. 9 billion of which $3.1 billion is for alternative protein categories.All in all it says the emergence of alternative proteins should not be viewed as a threat but a means of diversification for the producer, processor and consumer.Speakers: Jack Cowin, Founder and CEO, Competitive Foods Australia (inc Hungry Jacks)Nick Hazell, Founder and CEO, v2foodJames Madden, Flinders + Co

This episode considers how Australia can grow its AgTech footprint globally. Fleur Anderson speaks with some big global venture capitalists about what they look for in a start-up company and you will hear their examples of what kind businesses are getting looked at right now. Our guests speak about how to build a start-up culture that’s attractive to global investors, they consider some improvement’s that could be made in Australia and we speak about the importance of bringing all players through events like evokeAg.
Speakers; Andy Ziolkowski, Cultivian Ventures, USJohn Hartnett, SVG VenturesArianna Sipple, AusTradeCraig Shapiro, co-CEO and Founder, The Bridge HubJohn Henderson, AirTree Ventures

This session will examine the consumer behaviours and innovations that are shaping the conversation around sustainable food now and in the future. We will examine the mindset of 21st century eaters and how their needs and values are shaping our food landscape. We will explore what the future of food sustainability might look like and how food producers will need to focus on taste and storytelling in order to grow a food system that is better for people, planet and palate.
Speaker: Mike Lee, The Future Market & Alpha Food Labs.

This episode explores new ideas, solutions and possibilities on how we can make the Australian agriculture industry more sustainable.
We speak some of the change makers in Australia to find out what we can learn from their experiences.
We delve into the topic of bi-product development as well as addressing what part farmers might play and how to positively engage all facts of the supply chain in the sustainability conversation.
These interviews were recorded by Fleur Anderson at the 2020 Evoke Ag Event in Melbourne.

Filmmaker, director and actor Damon Gameau took to the stage at EvokeAg to share his insights and discoveries into practical climate change solutions, sharing international success stories and sending us on our own reclamation journey

This episode explores the future of the Agrifutures Australia EvokeAg event.

In 2021 the West Australian Government will be hosting EvokeAg in Perth on 16th- 17th February 2021.

Guests explain the excitement of this announcement and how hosting this event in WA will grow Australia’s position in the agri-food tech scene in the Asia Pacific.

Guests include; Agrifutures Australia managing director John Harvey; Director General, WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Ralph Addis; Moora citrus and broad acre farmer, Sue Middleton and Susan Hall, manager, Investment WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

This podcast is a production of the Rural Business Collective for Agrifutures Australia.

This episode is a recording of the very well received ‘Ag-itators’ Panel discussion from Day Two of the EvokeAg Event.Our guests explore the incremental to exponential …… the ‘ag-itating’ in trends that are daring this industry to think differently so it can meet opportunities and challenges head on.The discussion is facilitated by Barrie Cassidy former host of ABC insiders …. And speaks with Bill Hurditch, director The Fifth Estate.Jack Cowin of Hungry Jacks,John Henderson partner with AirTree VenturesAnd Racheal Neumann, head of startup’s Australia New Zealand with Amazon Web Services.This podcast has been another production of the Rural Business Collective for AgriFutures Australia.

Agrifutures' EvokeAG is back in Melbourne for 2020! Tune in for the Best of the sellout EvokeAG Conference

Panel: Getting ready for even faster, smarter farms Precision farming and using satellite imagery and drones to monitor crops……. along with farm management software tools to maximize decisions are all powering smarter farms.Uptake of these and other agtech innovations are set to expand with the imminent introduction of faster, cheaper connectivity.Panelists:Anastasia Volkova – FluroSatFlavia Tata Nardini - Fleet Space TechnologiesJonah Williams - AirBus AustraliaWill Wells - Hummingbird TechnologiesMartin Clough - SyngentaFacilitated: Sarah Nolet - AgThentic.

BONUS 03 - PANEL: Grow locally, think globally – how Australian businesses built an international brand and success Australia is recognized as a trusted producer of food. The opportunity exists for producers to leverage their food provenance, build premium brands and scale into global markets.Panelists:David Blackmore – Blackmore WagyuRob McGavin – Cobram EstateJodie Goldsworthy – Beechworth HoneyFrances Bender – Huon AquacultureFacilitated by Karen Ross from Elders

PANEL: Farmers of the Future- Robots, AI and 247 FarmingTraditional agriculture methods won’t be able to meet the needs of the future. Automation is rapidly advancing with new robotic perception systems, autonomous harvesting and industrial warehouse automation changing the face of the industry. This panel discussion is about the Farmers of the Future, Robots, AI and 24/7 Farming.
This panel is brought to you by Westpac and facilitated by Andrea Kosh of National Farmers Federation. Panellists: Nitza Kardish – Trendlines IsraelAndrew Bate – Swarm FarmChris Lehnert – Queensland University of Technology

PANEL: Agriculture 4.0 - Future of the NationThis conversation asks some big questions of agriculture. What is the future of Australia’s food and fibre industries?Leading voices from agriculture, innovation and investment will challenge and discuss the opportunities for Australian agriculture - here in our backyards and across borders.Everyone in this panel discussion was asked to speak freely and openly about the future of agrifoodtech in Australasia and what we need to do collectively to continue to grow and innovation.Panelists:John Harvey, Managing Director of Agrifutures AustraliaEthy Levy - The Bridge HubEmma Moss - EvokeAg Future Young LeaderSpencer Maughan - Finistere Ventures.Facilitated – Jennie Brockie, Journalist and host of SBS's Insight.

Agrifutures Future Young LeadersAs part of Agrifutures Australia’s commitment to celebrating the diversity of thought and support for agriculture’s emerging leaders, the EvokeAG Future Young Leaders Program identified 10 emerging thought-leaders within agriculture to attend EvokeAG and take the stage to present their key passion or idea relating to one of the event themes – food, farm or future to the international audience in attendance.

Featured in this episode:Belinda Allitt – General Manager, Communications & Capacity Building, Agrifutures AustraliaFuture Young Leaders – Matthew Nevison, Dylan Bellchambers, and Minh Nga NguyenEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

Blockchain ExplainedWhat exactly is this word we hear bandied around? And how is it relevant to agriculture? We hear in this episode how fast this technology is coming at us and what we can expect to see in the next 5 years. We also look into how agriculture is involved and what opportunities farmers and supply chain are currently presented with. Featured in this episode:Emma Weston – AgriDigitalReeanjou Ram - BlockBit SolutionsJacinta Monk – Kimberley Wild GubingeEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

Investment Hype vs RealityThere's a lot of buzz around food and farming tech in Australia right now. In this episode we are talking about investment in the sector. How do investors separate the hype and buzz from the genuine solutions. We also explore how the ecosystem in Australia stacks up and what are the lessons we need to learn to develop the Australian AgTech scene into the maturity required to lead the world. Featured in this episode:Arama Kukutai – Finistere VenturesGerard Chia - VVNPTopaz Conway – Cicada Innovations and SBE AustraliaIan Proudfoot - KPMGMatthew Pryor – Tenacious Ventures and AgThenticSarah Nolet - AgThenticEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

Robots – the new face of farmingThe face of farming is changing – and faster than we think! This episode talks about how robotics are working on everyday average farms solving common problems. We look at a great example of local farmers partnering with large multinationals for mutual benefit and another farmer who is working from the ground up to bring swarms of robots to farms around the country. Featured in this episode:George Kellerman – Yamaha Motor venturesSteven Saunders – Robotics PlusAndrew Bate – SwarmFarm RoboticsJonah Williams - AirbusEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

03 – Future of FoodTechnology is making its way to the centre stage of food production with innovations at every turn. These food innovators are leading from the front from alternative protein sources in the shape of the humble insect to a waste problem becoming an innovative health product flying off the shelves. In this episode we speak to some of the leaders in this space helping us think differently about the way we see food production and food businesses in Australia. Featured in this episode:Krista Watkins – Natural Evolution FoodsOlympia Yarger – GoTerra Jacinta Monk – Kimberley Wild GubingeJames Pateras – Modular FarmsSakkie Pretorius – Macquarie University Yeast 2.0 Project Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis – The Retail Doctor GroupEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

Provenance, branded product, high value agriculture. How do we use Australia’s clean green image to break into new markets. Are differentiated products the way Australian agriculture is headed? We speak to some of Australia’s food innovators and leading brand founders about their journey to create sustainable signature brands in Australia and internationally and we speak with branding specialists about trends to watch. Featured in this episode:David Blackmore – Blackmore WagyuJodie Goldsworthy – Beechworth HoneyFrances Bender – Huon AquacultureRob McGavin – Cobram Estate and Boundary BendAnastasia Lloyd-Wallis – The Retail Doctor GroupHelen Brown - BisnisAsiaEvokeAg – stay in the loop for the 2020 event

Welcome to the Best of EvokeAG podcast series where we bring you the highlights from Agrifutures Australia's signature event held in Melbourne in 2019.