E Tipu IFAMA 2023: Farming and the future of food and fibre

E Tipu IFAMA 2023: One of the teams in the Student Case Competition. Michelle Marais, Rebekkah Amende and Grace Mainwaring. Photo / Supplied

The recent E Tipu IFAMA 2023 World Conference in Christchurch featured a range of speakers on a range of topics as the industry grapples with change as it looks to the future

The central theme for this year was “Transforming the global food and fibre system” with sub-themes such as Farmers First - farmers delivering on bold ambition; Fibre First - forward-thinking developments in fibre; Food First - innovations in food production, distribution, and consumption; and Future First - where the world is heading so we can get ahead of the curve.

E Tipu: The Boma Agri Summit, was formed in Christchurch in 2019, and each year it brings together speakers and changemakers to share insights, ignite conversations and help shape the future of our primary industries.

There are a series of 24 videos of the speakers at this year’s event. Three can be viewed here and the next three videos are available to view below.

Kaitlin Dawson: Executive Director, NZ Food Waste Champions 12.3 - A meaningful plan to address food waste

Kaitlin Dawson is the Executive Director of NZ Food Waste Champions 12.3, a charity that has a vision of Aotearoa where food is valued and not wasted.

Dawson has entrenched herself in waste minimisation for the past decade and is passionate about changing the system from the ground up.

Champions of 12.3 is a coalition of leaders from across the food supply chain, accelerating progress towards achieving SDG Target 12.3 in New Zealand and halving food waste by 2030.

Their flagship initiative is Kai Commitment, a programme that is a voluntary agreement that supports businesses to reduce food waste and emissions from across the supply chain.

Aimee Blake and Finn Ross: Co-chairs, Future Farmers - A Vision for the Future of Food and Fibre

We all know our primary sector faces challenges, but what are the solutions?

Future Farmers is a group of young people, from all walks of life and political affiliations, who have come together to create a vision with supporting policies for the future of agriculture in Aotearoa, one that supports people, profit, and the planet.

Aimee Blake is a rural professional, social researcher, and systems thinker with a passion for reconnecting people back to food systems transformations.

Finn Ross is a naturalist, climate activist and adventurer. He aims to make a difference by advocating for rapid systemic change to address the climate crisis.

Andrew Králíček: Founder and CTO, Scentian Bio - How insect noses can change the world

Dr Andrew Králíček is the founder and chief technology officer of Scentian Bio and former team leader of the Molecular Sensing Team at Plant & Food Research.

Králíček has spent almost two decades working out how to harness the powerful sense of smell that insects have, to revolutionise the world of electronic sensors.