Invitation to the 2017 Annual Conference

June 13, 2017

TRANSFORMING LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS:
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN AGRICULTURE

7-8 August, 2017

From the Crawford Fund Chair
The Hon John Anderson AO

I invite you to join me at the Crawford Fund’s 2017 annual conference, titled “Transforming Lives and Livelihoods – The Digital Revolution in Agriculture.” Our conference website has more information on all speakers and the full program. You can register here and there is early bird registration until 26 June.

We know that access to data and information is transforming global agriculture. Whilst many developing countries have shared in this transformation, the impact is relatively patchy to non-existent but the potential is great.

Our 2017 annual conference, my first as the Crawford Fund’s chair, will ask whether access to and better interpretation of data and information herald improvement in agricultural productivity and profitability in developing countries and Australia, comparable in impact to the Green Revolution. 

We have drawn on Australian and world’s best experts and practitioners to help us answer this question including:

• Dr André Laperrière, Executive Director, Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN)
• Dr Andy Jarvis, Leading the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture
• Steve Mathews, Head of Strategy, Gro-Intelligence
• Dr David Bergvinson, Director General, ICRISAT and former leader of the Digital Agriculture Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Dr Mike Briers AO, CEO, Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre, and co-founder of the Internet of Things Alliance Australia

And we are very pleased to again have a global leader in the food security debate to present the Sir John Crawford Memorial Address at our specially styled networking dinner. Dr Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Mission of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network and Member of ACIAR’s Policy Advisory Council will present on “A New Narrative for Ending Hunger”. 

We will continue our successful Conference Scholars Program to encourage young people in their study, volunteering or careers in international agricultural research. We have had tremendous feedback on the benefit to those attending our event in having young people involved, so we hope many who attend the conference will donate to the scholars’ program when they are prompted in the registration process.

I do hope you can join us and be part of our deliberations in Canberra to help frame a way forward in the digital revolution in agriculture, learning from success stories as well as from  impediments and challenges.

Yours sincerely,

The Hon John Anderson AO
Chair, The Crawford Fund