Women Leading Innovation in Agriculture
Words : Alice Armitage Images : Lean Timms & Indi Chataway
In recent years Australian Industries, especially those related to agrifood production, have witnessed a remarkable transformation driven by a healthy innovation ecosystem. Among the driving forces behind this transformation sits the countless women who have played and continue to play a pivotal role in reshaping the landscape. With their expertise, creativity and resilience, it’s undeniable that women whose contributions to agriculture have historically been over-looked are now leading the way towards a sustainable and prosperous future for the sector.
As technology continues to revolutionise the way agriculture is practised, enabling producers to improve productivity, reduce environmental impact and adapt to the changing climate, female entrepreneurs and researchers are at the forefront of this transformation. Developing innovative solutions that address the unique challenges faced by the industry and unlocking the full potential of innovation to contribute to a thriving and resilient industry. As best practice continues to progress, it’s also important to understand the core link between the sector’s success and regional communities which sit at the heart of the agricultural industry. Regional communities and the women behind them, play an integral role in disseminating knowledge, advocating for broad reaching change and in breaking down barriers to manage and monitor the use of resources with more accuracy and efficiency.
Sonya Comiskey is one such woman. Self described as an ecosystem enabler for the agrifood value chain, Sonya has dedicated much of her career to the growth and development of an industry she cares so much about. While Sonya is not originally from an agricultural background, marrying a grazier changed all of that for her and as a result, she has spent the last fifteen years working in the beef and agritech industries. An alumni of the prestigious Nuffield scholarship and successful agritech entrepreneur in her own right, Sonya now spends her days working with innovators across Australia and internationally. “I believe the role of women in the innovation landscape is significantly underrated. Many agricultural commodities are hall- marked by family businesses and women frequently fulfil the roles, whether officially recognised or not, of CEO or business manager. To that end, they are often the key decision makers when it comes to identifying business pain points and problems that need to be solved,” shares Sonya. “I actively seek out and engage with organisations that model alternative behaviours – I am a passionate champion for women in innovation and agriculture.” It’s these drivers that have led Sonya to work with the likes of agrifood pathways provider, Farmers- 2Founders to deliver business coaching across a range of their programs.
Spearheading the management of projects such as the $809 million Queensland Beef Corridors program gives Sonya a unique lens into the factors that come into play when cultivating the right environment for change. Finding that sometimes, the most obvious drivers of innovation are those running businesses, businesses that require bold ideas to survive. Businesses driven by those who are taking a punt on smart strategies and progressive ideas to help us all get ahead. “It’s been my experience that women are often the ones who carry the mental load of agricultural production operations. By necessity, women also become the ones that find clever ways to build solutions to the challenges they face and are faster to adopt solutions that may seem outside the box. When women straddle operations and business management in ag businesses, this gives a unique insight into how solutions can be implemented in a way that provides holistic impact for the operation.”
While the juggle of her family life and career is undoubtable a difficult one Sonya’s desire to have an impact, particularly in regional Queensland makes it worth the challenge. “I genuinely believe that some of the people I am lucky enough to work with will change agricultural production on a global scale and I derive enormous satisfaction from helping these clever people who are solving the important problems in the industry’s value chain.”
A desire to build more avenues for women to flourish in the agrifood industry was a core driver for the women behind agrifood pathways provider Farmers2Founders. With founders Dr Christine Pitt and Skye Raward cultivating an environment where women throughout all aspects of the ecosystem could thrive. Committed to fostering innovation across all elements of the landscape, the Farmers2Founders team understands the importance of mulit-faceted perspectives, which inevitably included amplifying the role of women in the field. Whether it be women in their programs, their staff, program delivery partners or others they work with across industry.
From supporting agtech startups to on-farm value adding businesses, the fully integrated suite of programs delivered by the Farmers2Founders team are offering producers the opportunity to explore innovation and to also advocate for a progressive future for the industry. Making room for everyone, not just those from an agricultural or farming background, to solve the big challenges of the future. From the paddock to the packing shed, the supermarket shelf and the kitchen bench, when it comes to true drivers of innovation the full value-chain and each person involved in that process are being considered.
Research is also being undertaken to bring a deeper understanding of the role women play in the innovation landscape. Like that being conducted by Dr Rachel Hay, a social scientist with James Cook University. With her studies examining the role women play in the current use of and the further adoption of on-farm technology and found that women are three times more likely to use and adopt technology across a farming operation. With Dr Hay believing this increased use of technology is leading to more diffusing of technology across the board, as well as modifying gender divisions in farming families. Dr Hay’s research extends to trans-disciplinary approaches to sustained behaviour change and her ongoing research continues to indicate that women play a pivotal role in implementing the use of technology within agriculture as well as contributing to broader literature being available about women in the industry. Her passion to support rural, regional and remote areas is continuing to promote regional women to get connected to innovation, stay connected and use that technology to work to- wards sustainable growth for agricultural industries and their communities.
Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and longtime regional community advocate Julia Spicer echoes these sentiments. “My own experience has been that women are more interested in the holistic concerns of an agricultural business such as the environmental and social elements. They are always the ones asking the tricky questions and looking into how things like technology and diversification can work for them. Putting their differing skills and experience into play to create real solutions within the value chain.” shares Julia. With a background in natural resource management, Julia has put this into practice for herself as well. After moving to Goondiwindi in Queensland’s South West, Julia has been putting her own skills and experience to work to build a better future for her community. As Queensland’s first regionally based Chief Entrepreneur and with a strong track record of building strong and impactful businesses in the sector, Julia is a shining example of how women are changing the way innovation is applied into the industry and for the communities that support it. “Anything I do, be that per- sonally or professionally, is to support the building of viable and vibrant communities. I see my role as being someone who can link industry and business to community, they intrinsically fuel each other and with strong connections all elements of the ecosystem can thrive. Regional people are the backbone of the agricultural industry and if I’m able to link innovation to those regional problems, real solutions can be created.”
The role of women in the future of our food and fibre production can’t be overstated. As we move towards a future driven by innovation and sustainability, women may just hold the key to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that can empower us all, no matter from which gender, to continue to drive agricultural innovation, shape policies and overall sector prosperity here on home soil and on the world stage.
With so many on a mission to not just advance innovation, but to do so in a manner that respects diversity, equality and sustainability it is undeniable that women will continue to play a crucial role in shaping a robust future for the sector.
This piece is delivered in partnership with Farmers2Founders - you can find more about their work here.