Ag Mastermind event to transform sugarcane industry for future generations.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and Canegrowers Mackay are transforming the sugarcane landscape with a collaboration to challenge some thinking around farming as a career and attract young people to the sugarcane industry.
Ag Mastermind will be a free, think-tank workshop style event and held at the Resources Centre of Excellence on March 22.
The event will create a space to discuss current industry challenges in the agricultural sector across the MIW region and come up with solutions to tackle these challenges.
Facilitated by Paul Barnett from Asymmetric Innovation, an experienced innovation in agriculture specialist, Ag Mastermind will feature keynote speaker Dr Sarah Pearson, Deputy Director- General Innovation from the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport. Dr Pearson will speak about leveraging innovation to create impact.
Joining her will be Professor Ian O’Hara the Deputy Director of the Centre of Agriculture and the Bioeconomy at Queensland University of Technology; and will share his insights on biofutures opportunities and sugarcane product innovation.
The event will also include workshops and several speakers around innovation, learned experiences, key takeaways and future steps.
GW3 chief executive officer (CEO) Ms Kylie Porter said, one of the main challenges for Ag Mastermind attendees to tackle is how can the sugarcane industry attract young people.
“This event will also dive into how the sugarcane industry and the agricultural sector as a whole can lead and be at the forefront of innovative problem solving.
“We need to have a future focus and how to transform the sugarcane industry to become an attractive career choice for the next generation”.
Ms Porter said late last year the Australian Government’s Agriculture and Water Resources Committee released a report which predicted that Agriculture is set to become Australia’s next $100bn industry by 2030.
“To achieve this prediction, the MIW region needs to change the narrative around agriculture: it’s not just for the older demographic and features back-breaking work. Modern agriculture will be highly technical and skilled and GW3 is excited to be leading some really positive conversations on this issue,” Ms Porter said
To register your interest and more information on the Ag Mastermind, at the Resources Centre of Excellence, visit here.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance is the region’s peak independent economic development body committed to making the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region strong for generations.
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