The 2035 Oceania Summit. What’s Next?

The 2035 Oceania Summit. What’s Next?

by | Oct 12, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

The 2035 Oceania Summit finally concluded yesterday after two days of highly stimulating presentations and great delegate engagement. It’s been an awesome experience to put on what we hope will become a staple event, not just in New Zealand, but around the world. Supporting farmers and growers address climate change by reducing their GHG emissions and adapting to a changing climate has never been more important.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing videos of every plenary presentation and panel discussion to the Summit website. Today however, we want to focus on just one significant upcoming follow-up opportunity. We call it ‘What’s Next?”

A highlight of Day 2 of the Summit was the formal signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between New Zealand & California, committing both to greater collaboration around the development of ‘Smart Agriculture’ opportunities. I was delighted to join NZ Minister of Agriculture Hon Damien O’Connor and California Food and Agriculture Department Secretary, Karen Ross, at the formal signing ceremony at Auckland’s Aotea Centre.

Shortly after, I was joined by Damien & Karen on the main stage for the Summit’s final session, ‘What’s Next?’ We were joined remotely by Dennis Donohue, Director, Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center, in California.

We discussed the opportunity that the LOI offered. It’s not a channel that is exactly new to me or to Wharf42. We have been working with Dennis and the team at WG since 2016. It’s an opportunity a long time coming.

It’s appropriate then that we were able to share the news that on June 22-23, 2023, Wharf42 and the 2035 Summit team will be supporting a brand new ‘Growers Summit’ in Salinas, North California, in association with Western Growers. The Summit is supported by Secretary Ross and the CDFA. The purpose of the Summit is to focus on the use of biological inputs to land and crops. For New Zealand researchers and agritech businesses operating in this domain, the Salinas Summit will provide a unique channel to a significant commercial opportunity. We’ll be publishing extensive details via both the Wharf42 and the 2035 Summit websites in the run-up to next year’s event.

Today, I’m joining Secretary Ross and the California delegation on a day’s field trip to meet growers in South Auckland. Having spent two days talking about it, today we will finally experience it.

To all the Summit’s sponsors, speakers, moderators and of course our delegates, a huge thank you. The past two days have been a blast!

Harnessing Oceania solutions for global climate impact with Peter Wren-Hilton – evokeAG

Harnessing Oceania solutions for global climate impact with Peter Wren-Hilton – evokeAG

by | Aug 12, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

In June, I was delighted to spend time with Professor Andy Lowe during the pre-2035 Oceania Summit workshop in Adelaide.

In the Food Futurists x evokeAG. collab podcast below, Andy spoke to me about the importance of collaboration and agritech innovation to address climate change. To read the evokeAG article in detail, please check out the link and podcast here

Early bird tickets to the 2035 Oceania Summit are about to close. To purchase yours and meet an amazing group of delegates traveling across the Tasman, book yours today at www.2035.ag/registrations/ 

 

Are you an agritech business or research entity looking to engage the US market?

Are you an agritech business or research entity looking to engage the US market?

by | Jul 31, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

Last week, Wharf42 was delighted to be able to share the news that the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross, will be a keynote speaker at the 2035 Oceania Summit.

The Secretary’s visit supports a key purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and California Governor Gavin Newsom in San Francisco. As the Summit seeks to identify the tools and technology necessary to assist farmers and growers everywhere to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, securing increased trans-Pacific collaboration with California is a significant opportunity for the Oceania region’s agrifood technology sector.

The Secretary will be accompanied by Dennis Donohue, Director of the Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center (WGITC). The Center is based in Salinas in Northern California and has been visited several times by both New Zealand and Australian agritech delegations. For some context, Western Growers members account for over 50% of all fresh produce production in North America. (Personal Disclosure: I sit on the WGITC Global Advisory Board and have learnt at first hand many of the challenges that face these members).

They are not unique to California. Labor (lack of and cost of), a persistent multi-year drought and a drive to increase the use of biologicals are all key areas that growers across much of the US West coast are addressing. One of the main purposes of the Global Advisory Board is to identify offshore research and product that can help meet these challenges. October’s 2035 0ceania Summit provides a platform for New Zealand and Australian research entities and agritech businesses to share their stories with the in-bound delegation.

As indicated above, securing increased trans-Pacific collaboration with California is a significant opportunity for the Oceania region’s agrifood technology sector. If you are looking to enter the US market, October’s Summit will be a great introduction to some of the major opportunities that exist.

In order to register to attend the Summit, early bird ticket pricing closes on 15 August. You can purchase your ticket today at Registrations | Oceania Agritech (2035.ag)

Welcoming UK’s Tesco To The 2035 Oceania Summit

Welcoming UK’s Tesco To The 2035 Oceania Summit

by | Jul 19, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

Understanding ‘The Voice of the Customer’ is a critical function of business. I am therefore delighted that Natalie Smith, Tesco Head of Agriculture and Alice Ritchie, Tesco Agricultural Sustainability Lead, will be attending and speaking at October’s 2035 Oceania Summit in Auckland.

They will talk about Tesco’s sustainability strategy. As a business,Tesco plans to be carbon neutral by 2035. And net zero from ‘farm to fork’ by 2050. What does this mean for New Zealand farmers looking to leverage the recently signed FTA with the UK? And how does our sector’s carbon emissions reduction timetable stack up against Tesco’s sustainability strategy? These are critical questions as New Zealand’s agriculture sector looks to navigate a post-COVID world.

Natalie & Alice are joining a growing list of high profile Summit speakers. Over the past 10 days, we have been delighted to announce five additional key contributors to this list:

They bring a range of different stakeholder perspectives to the conversation. Over the coming weeks, we will be announcing more local and international experts as the Summit programme continues to build.
For more details about the 2035 Oceania Summit and to register for an early bird ticket, visit www.2035.ag 
ANZLF 2022 – A significant trans-Tasman relationship reset

ANZLF 2022 – A significant trans-Tasman relationship reset

by | Jul 10, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

I have been privileged to attend the 2022 Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) in Sydney. It has been an epic 2 days.

At the 2019 ANZLF meeting  in Auckland, Wharf42 co-founded the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council with nascent members of the Australian Agritech Association. Over the past two days, agritech has been a feature of the 2022 programme.  It reflects just how far the trans-Tasman agritech relationship has developed.

On reflection however, I feel that the most significant development witnessed this year was the very clear and close personal relationship between Prime Ministers Ardern and Albanese. This offers very real value to the longer term trans-Tasman opportunity to build new, strong business and people partnerships. I would classify this as a fundamental relationship reset.

For Wharf42, this maps our own direction over the past 3-4 years. It also reflects the strong Australian-based partnerships with the 2035 Oceania Summit through its deep engagement with Agrifutures Australia, evokeAG, growAG and ACIAR.

As the Summit’s programme builds, Australian input and engagement is key. This week’s ANZLF meeting provides some insight into how this can be captured. From the Oceania region’s perspective in these tumultuous and challenging times, this reset could not have happened at a better time.

The 2035 Oceania Summit is a Toitū Certified Carbon Zero Event

The 2035 Oceania Summit is a Toitū Certified Carbon Zero Event

by | Jul 6, 2022 | 2035 Oceania Summit

Supporting farmers and growers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions would look far less convincing if the Summit supporting this action was itself a GHG emitter.

We are therefore delighted to confirm that the 2035 Oceania Summit is a Toitū Certified Carbon Zero Event. Every aspect of the event operations are being audited to ensure that we meet the strict requirements to achieve this certification.

When you register to become a Summit attendee, you can be re-assured that your carbon footprint will be covered by our Toitū certification.

So just what is Toitū?

Toitū is an active verb that means “to sustain”. It asks us to work as individuals, organisations and New Zealanders to care for our planet, people and communities.

Toitū means to sustain continually. We prioritise continuous improvement in the journey to reduce our environmental impact and regenerate our environment.

Toitū also connects our actions with our outcomes. This is important to Toitū as a company, as they ask themselves and their clients to measure, manage and reduce their environmental impacts and carbon emissions, and disclosure these results in a public forum.

About Toitū Envirocare

Toitū Envirocare believes that together we can build momentum, inspire change and take credible action toward a sustainable world. Based on science and backed by proof, our Toitū carbonreduce, Toitū carbonzero and Toitū enviromark certifications give organisations the tools to reduce their carbon emissions and environmental impact. Initially developed for New Zealand business needs, our programmes now serve more than 400 clients worldwide. Wholly owned by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, a Crown Research Institute, our origins are in science, but our future is in the sustainability of our economy, our people, and our land.

To view the 2035 Oceania Summit portal, visit www.2035.ag