Introducing the 2035 Oceania Summit Steering Committee

by Peter Wren-Hilton | Jul 26, 2021 | 2035 Oceania Summit

I am delighted to be able to formally introduce the members of the 2035 Oceania Summit Steering Committee.

The members represent key stakeholder groups engaged in both agrifood tech and climate change. This includes industry, research, government and investment. No single entity can address the existential threat posed by a changing climate on the world’s ability to produce nutritious and affordable food for its rapidly growing population. It requires a coordinated and collaborative response.

Introducing the Summit Steering Committee members:

Professor Owen Atkin: Owen is the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT). Launched in August 2018, as a collaboration between the Australia National University, CSIRO and the ACT Government, CEAT’s goal is to build an agri-tech innovation ecosystem where world-class research and technology are applied to address complex agricultural challenges.  Owen is also a faculty member in the ANU Research School of Biology where his research focuses on the impacts of climate change on plant metabolism.

Rahul Chopra: Rahul is a Sustainability and Climate Change Consultant to the public and private sectors including agriculture, dairy, electricity, ports and local councils. Rahul has worked with the New Zealand Parliamentary Services and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is an active member contributing to Society 5.0. He holds a Masters in Climate Policy, is a certified Project Manager and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) certified professional.

Dr Victoria Hatton: Victoria is Director of the Sustainability & Climate Change practice at PwC and brings over a decade of experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation, both in NZ and globally. Victoria is a systems thinker who has demonstrated success in driving ambitious climate change action working with governments and business leading initiatives on sustainable finance, nature-based solutions, and clean technology. Victoria was instrumental at negotiating the Koronivia outcome in the UN climate change negotiations.

Sarah Nolet: Sarah is an internationally recognized agriculture innovation expert and a co-founder of the Agthentic Group, including Agthentic Advisory and Tenacious Ventures, Australia’s only specialist agrifood tech VC firm. Sarah is also the host of the AgTech…So What? podcast, and co-founder of Farmers2Founders, a national innovation program that supports Australian primary producers to commercialize inventions and new businesses, as well as gain early access to emerging technologies.

Pip Grant: Pip is a community engagement specialist with a focus on innovation systems and global collaboration. Managing Australia’s evoke^AG. program, Pip works largely with start-ups, scale-ups and corporate innovators to drive investment in agrifood innovation and research. With a background in not-for-profit, social impact, and research extension, Pip uses community mobilisation and marketing strategies to increase awareness of innovation, opportunities to collaborate, and invest in technology and research.

Ethy Levy: Ethy is the Founder of Impact Innovation Israel, a strategic consultancy firm focusing on tech and innovation in sectors where there is a substantial impact on society and the environment. Ethy is also a co-Founder and Israel CEO of the Bridge Hub, a global Agrifood tech innovation hub based in Australia & Israel. Ethy works across multiple technology sectors and provides tech and innovation adoption advisory to multi-national corporations as well as to academia and government.

Guy Royal: After a long legal career advising on investment in Hong Kong, Vietnam and the UK, Guy now specialises in the Māori commercial sector in NZ. He currently sits on boards in venture capital, climate tech, fishing, Iwi investment and retail. His passion is working with Māori primary sector to produce a better standard of living for Aotearoa particularly through innovation and climate-change technologies applied to Māori primary sector assets.

Dr Anna Okello; Anna manages the Livestock Systems Program at the Australia Centre for International Agricultural Research, part of the Australian government’s foreign aid portfolio. Anna has almost 20 years’ experience in livestock development and public health programs for a range of international and academic organisations. Since completing a PhD in political science at the University of Edinburgh in 2012, Anna maintains a keen interest in understanding the interface between agricultural research, technology development and global policy.

Aulani Wilhelm: Aulani is the senior vice president for Oceans at Conservation International. Her work bridges culture, community and science to drive innovations in ocean conservation. Aulani has played a pivotal role in shaping the emerging field of large-scale ocean conservation, leading the design and establishment of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaiʻi, and as founder of Big Ocean, a network of the world’s largest marine managed areas.

Finally, I make up the tenth member of the Summit’s Steering Committee.

The Summit is fortunate to have such an experienced and diverse group of individuals working together. We intend to deliver a programme that will make a real difference and build on the opportunity of showcasing local solutions that will have global impact.

For more details and to register your interest in the 2035 Oceania Summit, please go to www.2035.ag

Announcing the 2035 Oceania Agri-Food-Tech Climate Summit

by Peter Wren-Hilton | Jun 12, 2021 | 2035 Oceania Summit

It was with incredible pleasure (and some relief) that I was able to announce at National Fieldays this morning the hosting of the 2035 Oceania Summit in April 2022.

Good things take time and this Summit is a great example of that. Ever since we announced earlier in the year that Wharf42 would be co-hosting the AgriFoodTech Climate Summit at COP26 in Glasgow, plans have been underway to create the first global regional follow-up event.

In Australia, the Climate Targets Panel says that Australia should be aiming to reach net zero emissions as early as 2035. In New Zealand, the Climate Change Commission has submitted to government its recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Across wider Oceania, climate change has had, and will continue to have, profound ramifications for the people living in the region.

The Summit will feature regional and international keynote speakers, breakout panels with domain experts, an exhibition showcasing current research being undertaken across the region, a startup hub with a pitch event to global investors, as well as extensive networking opportunities.

We have been privileged to work with the International Business Events team at Tourism New Zealand and the fabulous folk at Auckland Unlimited to help make this happen. Today’s announcement is the culmination of many months work and builds on the significant and emerging research and development opportunities being created across the entire trans-Tasman and wider Oceania agrifood ecosystem.

Next month, Jacqui and I will be spending time across the ditch speaking to partners and friends in New South Wales, ACT & South Australia. Over the past two years, we have successfully established strong relationships with many agrifood organisations in Australia and we are looking forward at inviting them to actively engage and participate at the 2035 Oceania Summit.

By bringing together researchers, startups, investors, policy makers as well as farmers and growers, the 2035 Oceania Summit has been designed to showcase local solutions that will create global impact.

To learn more about the Summit and to register your interest in learning more, please visit the Summit website at www.2035.ag

We look forward to working with you to help our country and our region make a real difference.