Expanding My Thinking on Food Systems at the Crawford Fund Conference

By Jamie Piroe – Peters, PhD Candidate at ANU ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development

A Systems Thinking Approach   

The 2026 Crawford Fund for Food Security conference  was opened by Su McLusky, Chair of the fund and a key figure in Australian agriculture. She set the tone very well by asking why we are struggling to create a connected system while all the tools, research, and evidence are available…  

This ended up being a recurring theme in most talks from the morning sessions, for example, when Sandra Milach (CGIAR) addressed the issue of framing problems and explained that the way we think about policies and incentives needs to shift from silos to a holistic approach. She further stressed that systems thinking as a field needs to be explored more, especially regarding how people perceive, integrate, and use systems thinking.  

This was very exciting for me to hear, as one of the key research questions in my PhD explores whether key stakeholders in agri-food systems imagine food futures through a systems-thinking lens. 

Farmers and Adoption

Sandra Milach, who was by far my favourite speaker, talked about success in farming and when this is achieved. She emphasized that the key factor is whether farmers ultimately embrace the technology and innovations we are developing. Success will depend on their willingness to adopt these advancements. 

 In addition, she mentioned that this is the long-term view for the future of food that we all should have, as tools are further along than ever before, but we still struggle to integrate them downstream. This aligns with statements by Clayton Simateo (GAFSP), who stressed that farmer motivation, engagement, and positivity are crucial. He said, “If their morale is low, we need to be cautious of the quality of food that comes out of their farms.”  

All of this again relates to the urgency of integrating a systems-thinking approach in agri-food systems. 

Pre-COP Discussions   

It was very exciting to witness a pre-COP discussion and to meet the people who are going to represent Australia and handle negotiations for COP31 in Antalya in November 2026. Sally Higgins, the Youth Climate Champion for COP31, was incredibly inspiring, especially as she is a young farmer in Australia, and she addressed global climate issues based on her local experiences.  

The subsequent panel discussion was intriguing; one of my new acquaintances, a PhD student from Tasmania, dared to ask how Australia and the COP negotiating party will handle the presence of gas and oil lobbyists, as we have seen over the past year, which resulted in a global “cancel COP” call. Dr. Sally Box, who is such an excellent speaker, answered this question very well by stating that they will take the responsibility granted to them to ensure that everything will be in the best interest of climate change and sustainability. 

Concluding   

Huge thanks to AgriFood Innovation Institute (AFII) for awarding me this sponsorship. Listening to such inspiring speakers has really boosted my motivation and developed my broader thinking on food systems transformation and food security, which are key concepts in my PhD research.  

Throughout the event, I met many different people from various places and areas of expertise. I learned a lot about their work, both within and beyond academia, and it was incredible to see the wide range of ideas people had about food system transformation and technological intervention.  

I also connected with people from Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and CSIRO, who were eager to talk more and perhaps even participate in my research. These connections, along with many conversations throughout the event, gave me new perspectives to consider as I move forward with my research.   

In addition, I have recently been awarded a research fellowship at the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse, so attending this event provided great insights to further use during this fellowship as well. I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend, learn from such a diverse group of people, and be part of important discussions about how we can work toward more sustainable, equitable, and food-secure futures.