Celebrate & Collaborate
I'm a solutions focused person with over a decade of experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation, both in New Zealand and globally. I’ve done a lot of work in the agriculture sector with a big focus recently on net zero food production.
I work with business organisations, CEOs, board members and sustainability leads to influence and guide them through the challenges of reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from food operations and the supply chain. I help them identify pathways and implement plans to achieve their climate change goals while achieving production efficiency gains.
As part of my role at the 2035 Oceania Summit, I want to celebrate farmers because we just don't do that enough. They get such a hard time in the press and they're facing a huge number of challenges.
They have to meet the regulatory requirements around net zero carbon targets as well as consider new fresh water regulations and land use changes. Then there are the opportunities for farmers around technology and the investment and risks associated with those technologies. They’re grappling with supply chain risks while responding to changing consumer preferences and demands. On top of all that they’re at the coalface when it comes to dealing with the extreme weather events caused by climate change.
It's easy for people to become overwhelmed. My job, and others like me, is to help develop and plan a roadmap for change by identifying little steps along the journey. The target of net zero by 2050 is still 27 years away. That's 27 years of opportunities, but if we don't break it up into bite-size chunks, we're not going to get there. It doesn't all have to be done in one go but farmers and businesses need to understand the risks and how to plan for them.
I'm a very optimistic person. I wouldn't be doing my job otherwise. I want to help people realise that change is not as hard as they think it is. If we act now, the transition will be smoother, less costly and less disruptive than if we wait another 10 years. It's about leaning in and looking for the answers to the challenges we’re all facing. The good news is there are answers. We just need to channel the investment capital, technology, and resources in the right way to incentivize change.
This Summit is the first time in three years that so many people from the Agritech sector will be together in the same room. There’s a lot of catching up to do and a lot of stories and solutions to share. There's nothing better than getting face to face with people to start conversations and spark collaboration. You don't know what’s possible until you start talking but what we do know is that collaboration between farmers, industry, government and consumers will drive the change.
