I’m delighted to be releasing this latest Wharf42 post in Melbourne, Australia.
Jacqui and I had been invited by AgriFutures Australia to join Monday’s Australia–California Agriculture & AgTech Leaders Workshop in the city. The workshop brought together a focused group of agriculture and AgTech leaders from Australia and California to explore areas of shared need, existing collaboration and practical opportunities for deeper partnership. Participants included representatives from the Australian and Californian government, RDCs, universities, investors and industry bodies. Plus, two ‘honorary’ Aussies for the day, from across the ditch!
During the Workshop, I was given the opportunity to share details of the Salinas Biological Summits, & Platform10 and the opportunities these provided for increased cross-border collaboration between Californian & Australian growers, researchers and agritech companies. I was joined by Pip Grant, Executive Director, AgriPark/CSU who provided an Aussie perspective, together with Walt Duflock, VP Innovation, Western Growers and Gabe Youtesey, Chief Innovation Officer, UC ANR.
My big takeaway from the Workshop was that many of the key challenges, particularly those facing specialty crop/horticulture growers in both California & Australia, are almost exactly the same. Labor (lack of and cost of), more extreme weather events, changing AgChem regulations, higher input costs across the board and unpredictable geopolitical events were providing ongoing and elevated cost pressures.
From this perspective, the Workshop was particular well-timed.
Australia, like the US, is made up of a number of states. It’s very often here where the real action takes place and so I was delighted to be able to spend some time (not enough, sadly) with representatives from both the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Victoria Agriculture. Both Departments were responsible for hosting and delivering an awesome program for the in-bound California delegation.
Going forward, I look forward to continuing to engage. I believe that the 2027 Salinas Biological Summit provides a great platform for stakeholders in both California and Australia to continue to identify new opportunities for cross-border collaboration. As Secretary Ross asked repeatedly, ‘Where’s the action?’
The presence of two ‘honorary Aussies’ meant of course that New Zealand was still at the table and not on the menu. Nowhere was this more evident than in my discussions with Rob Hulme, President of AusAgritech. Building a stronger and better connected trans-Tasman agritech ecosystem is a purpose that will support both Australia & New Zealand agritech communities. A revitalized Australia New Zealand Agritech Council could provide the foundations for that purpose. I look forward to hearing about the outcome of those discussions.
As the California delegation departed for Mildura, for the final leg of their visit, Jacqui and I said ‘au revoir’ and not goodbye. We’ll be back in California in November as we continue to build out the 2027 Salinas Biological Summit program for next June. I’m excited that we’ll be working once again with a number of rmembers on the Californian delegation.