2025 Journalism Award: call for nominations

February 19, 2025

Are you a journalist who has reported in Australia in the last year on a food and nutrition security issue? Are you keen to experience first-hand some agricultural projects that are changing lives for the better in a developing country?

The Crawford Fund is today launching its 2025 Food Security Journalism Award. This award enables the winning journalist to undertake a ‘seeing is believing’ visit to a developing country, interacting with passionate researchers and local farmers, and then sharing their stories with the Australian public.

“This award is part of our efforts to draw attention to the significant impact of research to improve food and nutrition security, and the role that Australians and Australian support play,” said Cathy Reade, Director of the Crawford Fund’s Outreach Program.

Cathy develops the program for the visit in consultation with the winner and project partners, and accompanies the winner on the trip to make sure all goes well.

“In over 30 years of Crawford Fund journalist visits, we haven’t had a hiccup and we’ve been  wherever there is interesting work around agriculture for development – from the Pacific to Africa, to South America and across Asia, and even to the Arctic,” she said.

“The winner gets an extraordinary opportunity to experience and report on work underway. I have found that what the journalist (and I) enjoy the most is meeting the passionate men and women dedicated to improving food and nutrition security, and the farmers who benefit,” said Cathy.

Working journalists in Australia submit a piece of completed work on an issue related broadly to food security and nutrition that is published (either in print, broadcast or online) between 1 May 2024 and the close of business on Thursday 1 May 2025.

Entries should then be submitted to Cathy by COB Friday 30 May 2025 to be considered by a reviewing/judging panel.

The winner will be announced at the Crawford Fund’s annual conference, Australia’s key food security, held on 11-12 August 2025. Further details, including the application and judging processes, are available here.

Entries may touch on any topics that relate to the theme of global food security (food supply, production, R&D, trade, food loss and waste, biosecurity, training, policy issues etc.), but should not have just an Australian food security/supply focus.

Below are few of the most recent winners, and all past winners and their entries are listed here.

Cows for Cambodia – Changing Lives One Cow at a Time
Pip Courtney, ABC TV Landline, travelled to the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.

East Timor and Victorian agricultural scientists helping control African Swine Fever
Emma Field, ABC Rural, travel pending.

The perfect storm: Ukraine, Fertiliser and Fuel, Climate Change
Brett Worthington, ABC Radio, travelled to ICARDA in Morocco.

The little-known bush foods about to change the world
Natalie Parletta, a freelancer, travelled to the World Vegetable Center.

Coconut Comeback
Sean Murphy, ABC Landline, travelled to Nepal.

Cyclone Pam wrecks Vanuatu’s fisheries and damages crops and livestock of subsistence farmers
Sarina Locke, ABC Rural, travelled to Timor Leste.

Please do read the background document here for more information but if you have any queries, feel free to contact Cathy.

Don’t leave your entry to the last minute. If you have produced a food and nutrition security related article or broadcast between 1 May 2024 and the close of business on Thursday 1 May 2025, we really want to hear from you and there’s still time to produce an eligible piece!