E04 - Investment, the hype and the reality

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