An international food and agriculture summit is to be held in Australia on March 28, examining challenges and solutions for creating a sustainable future for farming and agriculture.
The Rabobank Farm2Fork Summit – previously held three years ago – is returning to Sydney’s Cockatoo Island, bringing together agribusiness industry leaders, local and international farmers, food and agribusiness start-ups, and prominent ag, science and technology researchers and innovators.
Convened by global agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank, the one-day invitation- only event will feature leading international and local speakers discussing new ideas and innovations from the world of agriculture and further afield.
Rabobank Group executive board member Berry Marttin said the summit would examine the major issues facing agriculture and food production globally, and showcase “knowledge, solutions and innovations that will help us all create a sustainable future in agriculture and effectively ‘grow a better world together’”.
“Most fundamentally, these are the challenges of how we can continue to feed a growing world in a sustainable way,” he said, “but also what efficiencies can be made to reduce waste across the food supply chain and promote the ‘circular economy’ and how do we ensure the longevity, success and developing capability of the food and agri sector.”
Topics to be explored at the summit include:
- the role of new science in redirecting the most challenging waste streams away from landfill and back into production
- the necessity and immediate benefits of proactive bio-diversity management in agricultural land
- how AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics will influence the future of agriculture and
- the exponential influence of technology on consumers and their food choices and how it is creating new markets.
Presenters will include the Federal Minister for Agriculture & Water Resources David Littleproud, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales Toby Walsh, humanitarian and international aid worker Linda Cruse, Rabobank global chairman Wiebe Draijer, rural entrepreneur and 2018 Rural Woman of the Year Krista Watkins and CSIRO principal scientist in field of strategic foresight Dr Stefan Hajkowicz.
The summit will play host to an ‘Innovation Garden’ expo of ag tech and food and agri startups, who will exhibit their products and services, while local and sustainable produce will also be showcased at the event.
It is the third international summit convened in Australia, following on from 2016’s Rabobank Farm2Fork – which saw more than 1200 farmers and food and agri industry stakeholders gather – and the inaugural Rabobank F20 (Food) Summit examining global food security, held in the lead-up to the G20 in Australia in 2014.
Mr Marttin said the summits were part of the cooperative Rabobank’s commitment to take a leadership role in helping facilitate a sustainable future for global food and agribusiness production and supply.
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the global Rabobank Group, the world’s leading banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of approximately 8.4 million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 93 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Media contacts:
Denise Shaw
Head of Media Relations
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525
Email: denise.shaw@rabobank.com
Skye Ward
Media Relations Manager
Rabobank Australia
Phone: 02 4855 1111 or 0418 216 103
Email: skye.ward@rabobank.com
