Last week some of the AFII team were fortunate to be in Brisbane for this year’s evokeAG conference.

evokeAG is the country’s largest agri-food tech event, bringing together producers, entrepreneurs, researchers and public sector representatives to discuss issues and opportunities for Australian agriculture.

Our Director Owen Atkin and Senior Manager Industry Engagement Anne-Sophie Dielen were joined by ANU students Lucy Darragh (science communication), Diana Tung (anthropology), Shuoyang (Phoenix) Zhu (policy) and Kayleigh Sleath (engineering) at the conference.

These remarkable students exemplify the diverse skills our agrifood sector needs to sustainably thrive now and into the future.

When asked for their takeaways from the event, there were a few key themes that emerged.

• Agriculture needs a PR strategy. The iconography that defines Australian agriculture may be hindering the industry’s future growth by locking out people who feel they don’t fit the ‘farmer in a field’ stereotype.
• This needn’t be the case, as we know there’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ worker in agriculture. In 2025 about 30-40 per cent of ag jobs are in large urban areas. Many ag jobs require a background in areas as diverse as tech, engineering, law and policy.
• Tech-driven innovations are here to stay. In the coming years and decades, we could see food with nutrients tailored to an individual’s genetic make-up, cellular food production, and food factories with cost-effective vertical farming.
• We need to bridge the gap between industry and researchers. If Australian agriculture is to continue to thrive, we need to work together to deliver the transformative innovation required for the ongoing sustainability and profitability of our food systems.

As always, thank you to the Agrifutures team for another thought-provoking event, and to our students for stepping out of your comfort zone and being outstanding representatives for the University.

If you’re interested in a career in agriculture, ANU, through AFII, supports students to find pathways into the sector through internships and industry placements. ANU also offers a Master of Science in Agricultural Innovation.