NextGen Research Impact for Food Security

As part of our NextGen program to encourage the next generation of Australians in ag for development, the Crawford Fund is producing an online panel for the Student Day Forum of the Research for Development Impact Network (RDI Network) conference “Pathways through Disruption”. More info on the RDI conference is here.

We are proudly supporting the conference for academics and practitioners for international development, which is a collaboration between the Australian Council for International Development and Australian Universities – a great opportunity to highlight the impact of ag for development and opportunities for NextGen!

The student forum will showcase research, initiatives and innovations for the future of sustainable development with an audience of students across any discipline that is involved in international development.

Our online panel will be held on Wednesday, 30 June, 2-3pm AEST and is titled “NextGen Impact for Food Security”.

It will explain how agricultural research for food and nutrition security can deliver global, professional and personal impacts! This live interactive Crawford Fund NextGen panel and Q&A event features passionate researchers highlighting their work in agriculture in developing countries and Australia, its impact for our neighbours and for them. They will share their experiences, explain the impact their work has, their career pathways and tips to involvement in research for food and nutrition security.

The session will be moderated by Cathy Reade, Director of Outreach and Manager of NextGen, Crawford Fund and speakers will be:

• A/Prof Lee Hickey, Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, who will explain the impact of ‘speed breeding’
• Dr Di Mayberry, Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader, CSIRO Agriculture and Food Global Food Team, who will discuss the technologies for reducing GHG emissions from red meat
• Dr Tamara Jackson, Program Manager, ACIAR-Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio, who will explain the impact of research to improve food, energy and water security.

While the panel is virtual, the Fund is hoping that COVID restrictions will be eased and it will be possible for us to then co-host a free networking event for the Melbourne conference and student forum attendees at the La Trobe Uni City Campus, Collins Street from 6.30pm on 1 July 2021. We will be working with La Trobe University and Researchers in Agriculture for International Development to provide an opportunity to meet like-minded students and professionals in development. This is strictly a COVID-19 safe event with limits on numbers to delegates must RSVP – you can register for the full student forum, the conference and networking event here.