From the Field: A Recap of DAS 24
Nov-05-2024
We recently had the pleasure of sponsoring the Digital Agrifood Summit 2024, organized by Food Agility CRC and hosted at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga Campus. The event brought together industry leaders and experts, offering a fantastic showcase of the latest advancements in digital agriculture. It provided valuable insights on critical topics, from sustainability to emerging AI tools.
Key Insights and Takeaways
Who Will Finance the Transition?
On Day One our Head of APAC, Ben Wark, joined an expert panel featuring leaders from Cibolabs, Loam, Cool Soil Initiative, and Envirofact to discuss the future of agtech and sustainable practices. A strong theme in this panel was the question of financial responsibility for transitioning toward sustainable, tech-driven agriculture. As sustainability becomes essential the question remains: who should bear the cost—farmers, companies or consumers? This sparked a lively and thought-provoking debate, leaving the audience with much to consider.
Leveraging “Brand Australia”:
In the Verifying Sustainability panel, hosted by Piers Hogarth Scott, Partner at Deloitte, speakers explored the concept of uniting under a cohesive "Brand Australia" to elevate the country’s agricultural production on the global stage. Panellists highlighted the need for cross-industry collaboration to bolster Australia’s agricultural reputation, emphasizing that divisive debates can undermine the larger goal of positioning Australia as a leader in sustainable, globally recognized agriculture.
Data Integrity in Sustainability Reporting:
Throughout the summit, there was a clear emphasis on the need for credible, robust data as the industry transitions from voluntary ESG reporting to mandatory climate disclosures. As we see it, strong, verifiable data will be essential—not only to support genuine sustainability efforts but also to prevent any anti-greenwashing backlash and uphold trust in the agricultural sector. This shift will require collaborative efforts to establish standardized data collection and reporting practices, ensuring that our industry’s sustainability claims are both transparent and trustworthy as we navigate this new era of accountability.
The Downforce Difference
We are thrilled to be a part of CSU’s Global Digital Farm.
Whilst we are currently sharing updated data on an annual cycle, we decided to run YTD 2024 SOC results to enrich our conversations at DAS ’24. We were quite literally standing on the soil that we had analysed using our remote MRV technology. As we continue to work with CSU we will be publishing validation studies.
Final Thoughts
The Digital Agrifood Summit 2024 was a powerful reminder of the innovation driving Australian agriculture forward. From new tech developments and sustainability practices to the insights shared by leaders in the industry, the event underscored the potential for a more sustainable and tech-enabled future in agriculture.
If you’re looking to stay on top of the latest in agritech, mark your calendar for next year’s event—it’s bound to be even more impressive.
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