Australia: Fostering agricultural innovation for worldwide food security

12 - 13 August 2024. Crawford Fund Conference - Nurturing global change from Australia: Fostering agricultural innovation for worldwide food security, Australia

Over 300 experts, policymakers, researchers, students and leaders heard from specialists from Asia, the Pacific, Africa and Australia. The conference highlighted the importance of co-design of projects, consultation and partnership arrangements, project governance and capacity building needs.

Extract of the programme  

12/08 Memorial Address Sir John Crawford

Sir John Crawford contributed at the highest levels to the development of Australia and other countries and passionately supported international agricultural research for development. The Crawford Fund was established in his name, and since 1985, in his honour, there has been the annual Sir John Crawford Memorial Address.

This year’s Memorial Address at the Crawford Fund’s annual conference dinner was presented by Dr Line Gordon, Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Professor in sustainable food systems at Stockholm University, Sweden.

In her address titled “Building Resilience in an Interdependent Patchwork Earth”, Dr Gordon explained that to navigate the unprecedented risk landscape we face and ensure the resilience of our food systems in the Anthropocene, we must both establish overarching goals and science-based targets that integrate health, sustainability, and justice, and nurture diverse pathways that are adaptable to various local contexts.

The recording of the Memorial Address presented by Line Gordon is available to view below.

 

13/08 Ministerial opening

The Hon. Pat Conroy MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, delivered the ministerial opening and presented the award. Dr. Fischer's groundbreaking contributions to global wheat production and food security have left an indelible mark on international agricultural research. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Fischer has worked alongside Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, led CIMMYT's global wheat program, and remains a key influence in wheat breeding and agronomy. His unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation of agricultural scholars ensures that his impact will continue for years to come. Watch this video to explore Dr. Fischer's remarkable achievements and the Crawford Fund's dedication to advancing food and nutrition security worldwide.

13/08 SESSION 3: TAILORING R&D TO DELIVER LOCAL ON-GROUND OUTCOMES

• Chair: Mathew Fox, First Assistant Secretary, DFAT Climate Diplomacy and Development Finance Division
• An Overview of the Pacific Regional Research Collaborative Framework
• Mr Mark Vurobaravu, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vanuatu
• Transformative Partnerships for Transforming Rice Value Chain for Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development of the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam
• Dr Tran Thu Ha, Team Leader – Low Emission & Inclusive Agriculture, SNV
• Learnings from Australian Indigenous Projects
• Madonna Thomson, Aboriginal Biocultural Knowledge Holder and Practitioner
• Challenging dominant narratives on development approaches in the drylands
• Hussein Tadicha Wario, Director, Centre for Research & Development in Drylands, Kenya

13/08 SESSION 5: ACHIEVING TRANSFORMATIONAL OUTCOMES

• Moderator: The Hon John Anderson AC, Chair, The Crawford Fund
• Dr Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR
  By highlighting the transformative power of genuine partnerships and participatory research, this keynote demonstrated how collaborative approaches lead to sustainable and impactful outcomes: "CGIAR works with 3000 global partners to develop and deploy innovative strategies to adapt to and mitigate these challenges. We work in over 80 countries, with a staff of nearly 10,000 people across 15 research centers.”
• Dr Line Gordon, Sir John Crawford Address Presenter
• Karen Mapusua, Director, Land Resources Division, The Pacific Community
• Professor Wendy Umberger, Chief Executive Officer, ACIAR