#evokeAG. 2024

From accelerating the process of plant breeding and predicting shelf life of fresh produce to leveraging satellite imagery and data to develop a drought insurance policy - artificial intelligence (AI) is already at work in our agrifood supply chains.
But as use of this technology gains pace how do we ensure shared benefits and ethical use? The innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront using this technology share their views.

Collaboration and innovation are key to overcoming the challenges facing the world’s agricultural sectors. Eleven UK companies recently visited Australia with Innovate UK to create new connections at AgriFutures evoke^AG. on 20-21 February 2024 as part of an innovative program helping accelerate agritech solutions across the globe.

In a challenging market for venture capital, agrifood tech investors are not only looking for innovations that could change the world, they’re looking for the founders who can make change happen. That means resilience, creativity, and something that looks a bit like courage.
AgFunder Founding Partner Michael Dean and Olympia Yarger, Founder and CEO of maggot-powered food waste management startup, Goterra explore the funding challenges in this market. For both, the key to success comes from a passion to solve the problem – and a sheer inability to give up.

If global food waste were a country, it would be third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the United States of America and China. The scale of the problem is well quantified, and solutions exist, but for food systems entrepreneur and founder Abi Ramanan, barriers to implementation remain, and caution is needed as we embrace technologies like artificial intelligence.

With all the ideas, money and power in the world, how does Australia use its exceptional edge to be a global leader in agricultural production and sustainability? Two leaders of the Australian agritech scene – Justin Webb and Olympia Yarger – share their thoughts in a colourful debate.

AgriFutures evoke^AG. 2024 today welcomed back a sold-out crowd of over 1,800 delegates to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, showcasing Australia’s exceptional edge to the Australian and international agrifood tech community.

AgriFutures evoke^AG. 2024 opened its doors today, welcoming over 1,800 delegates to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Western Australia, to share, connect, and collaborate for the future of Australia’s agrifood tech industry.

In the wake of the latest declared El Niño event, how can we produce the food and fibres we need, while still meeting our climate and nature positive goals? The agrifood sector needs to rapidly innovate to thrive in a changing world and climate – and natural capital is a big piece of the puzzle.  

She is a renegade founder transforming food waste management one maggot at time. He is a Harvard and Oxford Scholar, and ex-international rower. But are their views on what it will take to accelerate the Australian agrifood tech and innovation landscape as different as their CVs?

When Buffie Punch, a Noongar woman from Perth Western Australia, met Amanda Healy, proud Wonnarua woman from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and founder of fashion brand Kirrikin, she knew things were about to change.

Data and dollars are two key ingredients to build a robust agrifood tech and innovation landscape that creates meaningful change in food systems. But how can early-stage startups secure one without the other? Is this a chicken and egg scenario? Early stage agrifood tech venture capitalist and partner at The First Thirty, Antony Yousefian, muses on this dilemma.

Leading entrepreneurs will share personal and business experiences at AgriFutures evoke^AG. 2024, as well as the successes – and the challenges – they’ve seen firsthand with the convergence of cultural Intellectual Property and western innovation.