When I made the decision to leave a prestigious job and team that I had known for 7 years to open my own rural climate and sustainability consultancy, I was driven by the pursuit of more meaningful work and grass roots local impact. And boy, did I find exactly what (and who) I was looking for. I can confidently say that I have found my forever home amongst Australia’s agriculture industry.
I’ve just had the absolute pleasure of being at the Australian Women in Agriculture Conference over the past two days - in Albury NSW. My heart is full after so many wonderful conversations, my stomach hurts from laughing so much (and eating too much delicious food), my social and professional networks have expanded, there were tears, beautiful breastfeeding mothers, grandmothers guest speaking with babies on their laps, stories of courage and resilience, and of some very tough times.
I never knew such an incredible network existed in Australia before this week and it was unbelievably refreshing and inspiring to know that I was on the right path in my pursuit of genuine people, genuine collaboration, genuine connection and grassroots impact. In the past two days it was as though someone metaphorically wrapped their arms around me and said, ‘You’ fit in here. We are your family now and everything is going to be okay”.
Interwoven throughout the guest talks over the past two days were a series of themes - some light-hearted and some heartbreaking. We covered authenticity and leading with purpose, local and global influences on the agriculture industry, climate reporting, carbon farming, elevating women into leadership roles, resilience, and mental health. I have summarised my key takeaways from the conference for anyone who was not able to attend and is interested in learning more about what was covered.
Women are the backbone of the agriculture industry, with family at the center
Women are often the forgotten voices when it comes to the agriculture industry. When people think of the agriculture industry they think of ‘Barry, the 54-year-old white male farmer out in the field tending to cattle’ (a reference used several times over the past couple of days). The reality is that many men couldn’t do what they do without the supportive women behind them taking care of children, paying bills and running the operational side of agribusinesses, as well as supporting out in the fields and labs. As a whole society, we need to be better at hearing women’s voices, recognising their valuable impact and contribution, and giving them the support they need to thrive (things like access to childcare that is tailored for agricultural families, and genuine flexibility in balancing family and careers). It was so refreshing to see young mothers with their babies at the conference, Fiona Simson from World Farmers Organisation speaking to us with her granddaughter on her lap, and other guest speakers talking about their purpose and their why – which usually always came back to family.
Bring your authentic self and lead with purpose
If you want to build genuine connections and make genuine impact, bring nothing but your authentic self. We heard this theme many times and in different contexts. I was blown away by Melissa Fletcher’s talk, the CEO of Fletchers International Exports. I cried (and laughed) a few times hearing Melissa speak about her experience growing up as an indigenous girl and how these experiences lit a fire in her belly to prove people wrong, take risks and make something of her own life. A truly inspiring woman.
I also loved the wise words from Cathy McGowan – “women need to turn up, speak up and step up. If you aren’t in the room, then your voice isn’t heard’. We need to turn up because no-one else will speak for us, we need to speak up and speak out when something isn’t right or something needs to be changed, we need to raise our profiles and step up into leadership roles and recognise the unique value that we bring.
Elevate other women into leadership roles
I have never been particularly good at elevating or talking about myself, and I know most other women aren’t either. Deep down I am a relatively shy and quiet person that is driven by purpose not by power and influence. Many women benefit immensely from strong mentors and someone to raise them up and advocate for them to step into leadership roles. If you can be this person for someone else, please do it because you never know the profound impact you could have on their life and careers.
Climate reporting and carbon emissions
We talked a few times about Australia’s latest climate reporting legislation and what this is likely to mean for Australian farmers. We also heard from Clare Edwards from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on carbon emissions. Clare covered influences across global, government, corporate, supply chains and consumers, as well as high level pathways to net zero and understanding on farm emissions. For anyone who is interested in understanding more about the impacts of climate reporting, we have included information for farmers in this SEAOAK article.
Mental health and personal resilience
Juliane Cowan from Living Courageously shared some truly terrifying statistics, which hit home on a personal level for me. One third of farmers had attempted self-harm or suicide in the past five years, and one farmer dies of their own hands every 10 days. Juliane has some wonderful resources to help farmers struggling with mental health at www.livingcourageously.com.au
Sallie Jones from Gippsland Jersey, thank you also for having the grace and courage to share the heartbreaking story of losing your father to suicide, and for continuing to make farmer mental health a priority for your dairy business, team and local community.
The agriculture industry is tough - it's very hard work (mentally, physically and financially) and is often a thankless job. Wherever you can, please support your local farmers by purchasing their products and supporting their businesses.
Food independence and connection to where your food comes from
Tatum Claypool, Director of Internal Indigenous Engagement over in Canada talked about the historical injustices of indigenous people and the inspiring work that she is doing to create a more equitable future. One of Tatum’s quotes was “If you want to control the people, you control the food”, which I think resonated with a lot of people in the room (perhaps for different reasons).
Personally, it has only been in the last 5 years that I have started to grow my own fruits and vegetables, and to take more of an active role in understanding where my food and meat was coming from. Diet is intrinsically linked to mental health, as is a connection to the land and environment. I believe it was during COVID times when supermarkets were low on food that people really started connecting with the land and either starting to grow their own food at home or supporting their local growers.
Missing theme: managing climate risk and building farm / agribusiness resilience
We discussed so many meaningful topics over the two days, however, one topic that was missing was managing climate risk and building farm / agribusiness resilience. I believe that topics such as understanding climate-related risks and planning for them, considering nature-based solutions for climate resilience and adaptation on the farm, revenue diversification through nature, innovative emissions reduction opportunities, and carbon and nature-repair market opportunities should all have a regular seat at the table at these types of industry events.
Comments