WHEN:
Wednesday 15 Mar 2023, 11am (AEDT)
WHERE:
Zoom link will be sent upon registration.
CONTACT:
Cam Klose
[email protected]
Join Farmers for Climate Action and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt to launch our latest report, Farming Forever: A National Plan for Climate Change and Agriculture.
Based on our engagement with more than 600 farmers, agriculture industry and more, we are announcing our plan for a national approach to climate change and agriculture.
Australian farmers are on the front lines of climate change, facing more severe and frequent drought, heatwaves, fires and floods. At the same time, the shift to a low-emissions world also presents farmers and rural communities with significant opportunities.
An effective national policy on climate change and agriculture will allow us to ensure Australian farmers are prepared to deal with the changing climate and able to seize the economic opportunities that come from moving to a low carbon economy.
Register now to secure your spot at this launch event, and to receive a copy of the report once it’s launched.
Speakers
Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Murray Watt is the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, positions he’s held since June 2022. He was elected as a Senator for Queensland in 2016.
Dr Fiona Davis
CEO, Farmers for Climate Action
Fiona grew up on a dairy farm in northern Victoria and began reporting on agriculture while still at high school. She honed her writing skills working at regional and agricultural newspapers, Country News and Stock & Land. Fiona also worked at Currie Communications, supporting agricultural, environmental and governmental clients. She was awarded a PhD in history from the University of Melbourne in 2011, and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Australian Catholic University in 2018. Fiona was Farmers for Climate Action’s Deputy Director between 2018 and 2021, before moving into the CEO role in March of 2021.
Dr Kate Andrews
CEO, NRM Regions Australia
Dr Andrews is the chief executive officer (CEO) for NRM (natural resource management) Regions Australia, the peak body for Australia’s 54 regional NRM organisations. She is also a member of the Future Drought Fund Advisory Committee and works with the Australian National University’s Fenner School for Environment and Society.
Dr Andrews worked with people across the Lake Eyre Basin, designing and establishing the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group – Australia’s only community-designed and -managed cross-border NRM organisation – and became its first CEO. Later, as Land and Water Australia’s first knowledge and adoption manager, she worked with her team to link research with on-ground practice and policy.
More recently, Dr Andrews was based in Darwin chairing and reforming Territory Natural Resource Management while working across northern Australia. She has participated in national committees such as the Australian Landcare Council, CSIRO’s Sustainable Agriculture Flagship advisory committee, and been a director on the board of AgriFutures Australia.
Olivia Lawson
Director & Co-Principal, Paringa Livestock Pty Ltd
Olivia grew up in South Gippsland on prime lamb property and studied Ag Science at Dookie in Victoria.
Along with her husband Tom, they run a stud cattle operation known as Paringa, close to the Murrindindi River near Yea. They also have another farm at Clarkes Hill in central-west Victoria, near Ballarat.
Paringa was founded in 2006 and now operates as a diverse stud beef business running about 400 Red Angus, Black Angus, Carolais, and red and black composite Stablizer ® cows.
The Lawsons are passionate about regenerative farming, best practice animal welfare and sustainable beef production, a focus that saw them achieve the Landcare Victorian Sustainable Farming Award in 2014.
Together they are passionate about agriculture and have shared a strong interest in biological farming systems for over 18 years.
