Unearthed: The people changing Australian agriculture

Big capital meets big questions for Australian agriculture:
Institutional investment in Australian farmland is increasingly becoming a defining force for agriculture. Capital unlocks innovation and scale, but what are the trade-offs? In this episode of Unearthed, we hear from Liam Lenaghan of GO.FARM and Jaclyn Hope from LAWD, both panel guests at evokeAG earlier this year, where they discussed the pros and cons of institutional investment in Australian agriculture.

AgriFutures new Managing Director, Brianna Casey, has lived a life of change, witnessing the transformation of the NSW Northern Rivers when growing up in Byron Bay, to being responsible for driving change when appointed CEO of the Queensland Farmers' Federation at the age of just 23. Brianna shares the life experiences that have shaped her 'walking alongside' leadership style, and the importance of combining inspiration with evidence when developing policies for the future of agriculture.

From listening to his mum's racing tips on Brisbane radio to selling Winx's foal for $10 million - one of Australia's most respected Thoroughbred auctioneers, Jonathan D'Arcy, shares how his experiences in the bloodstock industry will shape his new role guiding future research as part of the AgriFutures Thoroughred Horses Advisory Panel.

While some farmers may feel like agriculture has been under attack for many years, new research shows continuing high levels of trust in both farmers and agricultural industries by the general public. However, as Courtney Bailey of Voconiq reveals, there is a range of issues requiring proactive communication by levied and emerging industries in order to retain this high level of trust. The good news is that every individual can play their part.

With women holding only 19% of board roles in agriculture and just 2% of CEO positions, Cressida Cains is taking up the challenge to improve the diversity of views being represented in leadership positions. Australian Women in Agriculture has developed the Women on Agricultural Boards project and it's quickly gaining momentum.