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Our board of directors

Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to ensure farmers are a key part of the solution to climate change.

We represent more than 8,000 farmers across Australia. Our supporter base includes over 45,000 Australians committed to climate action for agriculture.
Our farmers and our Board can be found across the country: from the tropical north of Queensland to the cooler climes of Tasmania, and from the wine growing regions of Western Australia right across to the sheep and cropping farms of New South Wales. Our staff members are spread across the east coast of Australia. Read on to meet the people that make up Farmers for Climate Action.

Chair

Brett Hall

Brett is an Angus cattle farmer from the Derwent Valley in Tasmania. His family has a rich history with the farming and timber industries in the state.

Brett is an Angus cattle farmer from the Derwent Valley in Tasmania. His family has a rich history with the farming and timber industries in the state.

He attended the meeting of frustrated farmers in the Blue Mountains in 2015 that was the impetus behind the formation of Farmers for Climate Action (FCA). He has been a director of FCA since 2017 and is Chair of the Finance Remuneration Audit & Risk Committee.

Brett’s previous board experience includes the completion of two terms as a Director of Cattle Council of Australia (CCA) where he was the Chair of their Finance Audit and Risk Committee for 3 years. He is a former Director of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, and the Inaugural Chair of the Southern Australia Livestock Research Council.

Brett graduated from the Australian Rural leadership Program in 2012. He undertook an MBA (Agricultural Innovation) with the University of Tasmania and graduated in 2015. He also completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Company Directors Course in 2016.

Brett is passionate about agriculture providing a leadership voice about climate action and believes that with strong climate policy to keep the climate in the safe zone, we can continue the Australian tradition of having prosperous farmers and rural communities.

Board Director

Angus Emmott OAM

Angus Emmott is a third generation grazier, who ran Noonbah Station near Longreach in outback Queensland with his wife Karen.

Angus Emmott is a third generation grazier, running Noonbah Station near Longreach in outback Queensland with his wife Karen. An expert in water management, he is former Chairman of the Lake Eyre Basin Community Advisory Committee and a former member of the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee, a government advisory body. He is also a self taught naturalist fascinated by the flora and fauna of the Australian arid zone. In 2004 Angus was awarded an honorary masters of science degree by the University of central Queensland.
Deputy Chair

Anika Molesworth

Anika splits her life between her family’s arid outback sheep station in Far Western NSW, her PhD crop trials in central NSW, and lush green rice paddies in Southeast Asia working as a researcher in international agricultural development.

Dr Anika Molesworth is a recognised thought-leader of agro-ecological systems resilience and international farming development. With a passion for rural communities and healthy ecosystems, she is committed to help create sustainable and vibrant rural landscapes now and for the future. She is a Founding Director of Farmers for Climate Action. She has presented the TEDx talks “Farmers are key to a better future” and “Reparing the Broken Food System.” She is also the author of the book, Our Sunburnt Country, and was the Winner of the Royal Societies of Australia and New Zealand Writer’s Award for Outstanding Writing on Social Change. Awards include Young Farmer of the Year (2015), Young Australian of the Year, New South Wales Finalist (2017), and Young Conservationist of the Year (2022).
Board Director

Brett Hosking

Brett Hosking is a fifth-generation farmer running a mixed farming business in Quambatook, Victoria. Brett is the former Chair of GrainGrowers and has had long-standing involvement across the Australian grains industry.

Brett Hosking is a fifth-generation farmer running a mixed farming business in Quambatook, Victoria. Brett, his wife Jane and their four daughters grow wheat, barley, canola, lentils and field peas as well as run sheep and cattle. Brett is the former Chair of GrainGrowers and has had long-standing involvement across the Australian grains industry. Brett is the former President of the VFF grains group, and former Vice President of the VFF.
Board Director

Michael McDonald OAM

Michael has a farm in Kangaroo Valley in partnership with his wife, Jane. He is a Legal Practitioner of the NSW Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. Michael has held senior leadership positions in the private and government sectors.

Michael has a farm in Kangaroo Valley in partnership with his wife, Jane. He holds bachelor degrees in Economics and Law, Graduate Diplomas in Employment Relations and Legal Practice and a PhD in Political Science. He is a Legal Practitioner of the NSW Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. Michael has held senior leadership positions in the private and government sectors.
During his working life he has been a member of not for profit boards including fulfilling the role of chair.
Michael has had a lifelong interest in agriculture and primary production. He has been working on improving the long-term productivity of his farm through care of the soil, encouraging increased biodiversity over the entire farm and capturing increased water on farm. Responding to the clear change in climate and working at ameliorating its impact drives Michael’s approach to agriculture.
Board Director

Sarah Matthee

Sarah lives on small acreage in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria with a family farming history in South Australia. She currently works to connect good will of government, philanthropy and business with the needs and aspirations of rural Australia.

A chemical engineer and non-practicing lawyer, Sarah is passionate about the need to make climate positive changes that support land and people. She has worked at the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal since 2017, focused on enabling partnerships with government, philanthropy and business that generate opportunities for rural communities.

She has previously acted as a Director of a local community bank, and as a Director and Company Secretary of Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Sarah lives on small acreage in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria with a family farming history in South Australia. On the weekends you'll usually find Sarah at local farmers markets, selling her husband's small batch sourdough.

Board Director

Anna Rose

Anna Rose comes from a family with a long farming history in the Hunter Valley, Liverpool Plains and North-West Slopes of NSW.

Anna is a well respected leader in the environment movement who has worked for more than two decades to help Australia make progress on climate change. Her work has taught her that bipartisanship is key to creating lasting policy change.

Anna’s background is in community engagement, including leading Earth Hour working with councils, schools and small business. Anna is a Director of Farmers for Climate Action, a Governor of WWF-Australia, a visiting fellow and former lecturer at the Australian National University and an associate at Melbourne University Sustainable Society Institute. Anna is the author of the book "Madlands: A Journey to Change the Mind of a Climate Sceptic" (MUP, 2012), based on a journey with former Finance Minister Nick Minchin that was also turned into a broadcast documentary. She is a Churchill Fellow, a former Myer Foundation Innovation Fellow and was named one of the Australian Financial Review/Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence for 2019. Anna has a combined Bachelor in Arts and Law with first class honours from the University of Sydney.

Anna comes from a farming background on her Mum’s side, with family properties in the Hunter Valley, Liverpool Plains and North West Slopes of NSW.

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