Crawford Fund Annual Conference – presentations now available

December 14, 2021

After date and venue changes and a move to our first ever hybrid format, the Crawford Fund’s much anticipated annual conference, tackling the topic Food & Nutrition Security – The Biosecurity, Health, Trade Nexus has wrapped up in Canberra.

Whether you missed the event or want to revisit a particular speaker and topic across the broad range delivered, the Powerpoint presentations from each of our speakers can be found linked within the program here. We will also have the official proceedings available and related press materials are  here and we will be adding links to media coverage in the days ahead.

A very big thank you to all our loyal sponsors who stayed with us through the date changes!

The vast increase in and growing complexity of international trade, travel, tourism and density of development has placed ever growing challenges on maintaining plant and animal biosecurity, halting the rapid spread of infectious diseases and strengthening the protection of biodiversity. 

The event explored the specific risks to plant, animal, and human health, how these factors are impacting global food and nutrition security, and the emerging technological and management solutions to overcome these risks.

With a focus on food systems, we explored the important way in which food production systems interact with human health in terms of zoonotic diseases and their spread. 

We also presented a focus on biodiversity, important because natural systems may provide a reservoir of information and resources (e.g. genetic resources such as disease resistance, biological control agents etc.) that can be used to develop solutions for future proofing society against emerging risks.

Our overview and keynote presentations tackled topics ranging from the advanced and emerging technologies and tools tackling biosecurity, the changing and increasing biosecurity risks to food and nutrition security and the relationship between biosecurity, trade, health and environment.

The program was complete with a set of innovative case studies covering work across commodities including aquaculture, grains, horticulture, and animal health which impact Australia, its near neighbours and the rest of the world. Threats addressed included Fall Army Worm, African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, antimicrobial resistance and cereal rusts.