Conference Dinner Speaker
Monday 30th April, Realm Hotel, 6:30pm-10pm
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Bernard Salt
Bernard Salt is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators by business, the media and the broader community. Bernard heads The Demographics Group which provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business. Prior to that Bernard founded KPMG Demographics. He writes two weekly columns for The Australian newspaper and is an adjunct professor at Curtin University Business School. Bernard also holds a Master of Arts degree from Monash University. Bernard Salt is one of the most in-demand speakers on the Australian corporate speaking circuit and has been so for more than a decade. He is perhaps best known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying and tagging new tribes and social behaviours such as the ‘Seachange Shift’, the ‘Man Drought’, ‘PUMCINS’ (pronounced pumkins) and the ‘Goats Cheese Curtain’. He was also responsible for popularising smashed avocados globally. Bernard has popularised demographics through his books, columns and media appearances. His body of work is summarised in six popular best-selling books. Bernard appears regularly on radio and television programs and recently hosted a business television program "The Next Five Years" on SkyNews Business Channel 602. He was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours. |
Keynote Presenters
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Neal Menzies:
Will land degradation be the sharp edge of the Malthusian Precipice? In 1798 the English clergyman Thomas Malthus published his Essay on the Principle of Population. He noted that population rises geometrically. That is, if 10 people occupy a tiny island and each generation has twice as many members as the last, succeeding generations will have 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 ... members. He suggested that food production can only rise arithmetically: each generation may have the capacity to feed 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 ... people. The fifth generation of our islanders reaches the "Malthusian Precipice". "The power of population is so superior to the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man," Malthus concluded, "that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race." Worldwide, demand for food and fiber continues to increase, and our production systems have been able to meet this increased demand. Few now believe that we will reach a “precipice” and population scientists expect the earth’s population to stabilize at a level that our food production can support. However, this view assumes that the current level of agricultural production can be sustained, and that we can live with the environmental consequences of increased agricultural production. Perhaps this view is too optimistic! In this presentation I will explore some of the most pressing environmental problems arising from our agricultural landuse, and consider some agricultural challenges for the future. |
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Olympia Yarger:
Insect Protein Association of Australia Olympia is a farmer, innovator and a leader in insect farming in Australia. She’s the Founder and CEO of insect farm Goterra, a company that manages food waste and creates livestock feed, using modular insect farms. And a founding Director of the Insect Protein Association of Australia. Olympia believes Insect Farming is an opportunity to bring industry to regions, develop innovative careers in STEM, and create value and opportunity along the supply chain for farmers |
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Robert Furbank
Professor Robert (Bob) Furbank is the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational photosynthesis. Bob is internationally known for his research into aspects of photosynthesis and carbon allocation/transport in crop plants, and understanding and manipulating C4 photosynthesis. In 2009, he established the High Resolution Plant Phenomics Centre at CSIRO and led this national facility until 2015. Bob’s significant contribution to the agricultural industry was recognised in 2014 when he received the CSIRO Plant Industry Leadership Award. In addition to his work on the molecular side of photosynthesis, he also works on the agricultural application side, he and his family own and operate a winery business nearby to Canberra – Barton Estate Wines. The Centres researchers work to improve crop yields for farmers, by working inside the leaf to maximise photosynthesis, by exploiting natural variation in plants, and by using computer modelling technology to assess which projects could work best to increase yields in a changing environment. It’s hoped these increases will help to solve to world challenge of securing food for the worlds increasing population. |
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Rick Zenn
Rick Zenn is an internationally respected environmental educator with more than 30 years professional experience in the field as a naturalist, teacher, program manager, non-profit executive, trainer, and consultant. He is the first Senior Fellow at the World Forestry Center appointed in 2009 after serving as the center’s popular education director for nearly 20 years. Zenn leads the regional, national, and international education and outreach initiatives of the organization focusing on partnerships, training, and institutional development. He serves as adviser to the President and CEO and works closely with the director, staff, and forest researchers in the center’s World Forest Institute (WFI). Zenn directs the Hagenstein Lectures "Emerging Voices in Forestry" series and the World Forestry Center International Educators Institute (IEI), a residential leadership program for accomplished scientists, land managers, and teachers which he founded in 1996. Zenn received the prestigious Rudolf Schafer Award from the American Forest Foundation, the Master Front Line Interpreter National Award from NAI, and the Gold Leaf Award from the International Society of Arboriculture. He is a frequent host for educators, foresters, scientists, and government leaders from around the world. |
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Pete Watson
Pete Watson is the Director of Howell Living History Farm, a 220-acre heritage site preserving the story of a 280-year-old New Jersey farmstead. He is chairman of the New Jersey Living History Council, board and executive committee member of the Association for International Agricultural Museums (AIMA), and Past President of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM). He is a graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and author of Animal Traction, a field manual for international agricultural extension agents. |
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Ivan Neville
Ivan Neville is the manager of the Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch in the Australian Government Department of Jobs and Small Business (formerly the Department of Employment). Ivan leads a team that undertakes in-depth analysis on a range of Australian labour market issues, including identifying the current and future demand for skills; understanding recruitment issues and what employers are looking for; and helping job seekers prepare for the changing world of work. Ivan has had an extensive career in a range of labour market research, statistics and policy roles in a number of government organisations. Ivan is regularly asked to provide his unique perspective on the ever evolving labour market story and he delivers presentations both here and overseas. |
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Tim Burrow Keynote - No Presentation
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