GIWA Forum and GIWA AGM 2021

The GIWA AGM and GIWA Forum was held in the River View Room 1 (entry via Gate D) at Optus Stadium on Wednesday, 6th October 2021.

2021 GIWA Annual General Meeting

3.30pm to 4.30pm – GIWA Members only

2021 GIWA Forum

5.00pm to 8.00pm (Sundowner from 7pm)

Sustainability is the new global market driver – What does that mean for the Australian grain industry?

Globally, ever increasing importance is being placed on the need for our food to be sustainably produced, transported and consumed. This sentiment is being expressed by both producers and consumers and some of the world’s biggest food and beverage manufacturers have set and are actively working towards ambitious sustainability goals. Some of these will require entire agriculture sector input supply chains to demonstrate that they too are sustainable. But sustainability is multi-faceted and complex, so what does that mean for the Australian grain industry?

Reuben Blackie, Sustainable Agriculture Manager (APAC and AMESA regions), PepsiCo

PepsiCo’s Approach to Sustainable Agriculture

Reuben will discuss PepsiCo’s recently updated Sustainable Agriculture policy and how PepsiCo hopes to work with oat growers in Western Australia to continue to support sustainable practices on the ground.

Reuben Blackie is PepsiCo’s Sustainable Agriculture manager for Asia and the Middle East. In this role, Reuben supports PepsiCo agronomy and procurement teams in implementation of the company’s Sustainable Farming Program, working with farmers to identify practices that add value in the supply chain whilst improving environmental and social sustainability. Reuben is an agronomist by training and has worked across a variety of crops and markets in Asia since 2010. Reuben currently lives in Indonesia.

Crawford Taylor, Head of Sustainable Business Development, Rabobank

Green Signals for Aussie Grain

Global momentum and local and global consumers are driving a swift change in the sustainability expectations of agriculture and agricultural production. These signals are evidenced by the significant number of country commitments to achieving net zero carbon emission mostly within 30yrs and other factors. This is flowing through to ESG commitments and frameworks by global and domestic agribusiness companies and to global and domestic regulators. Aussie and WA grain producers cannot ignore these influences particularly as it may extend to access to markets and capital.

Crawford has been involved in agribusiness banking for over 30yrs in Australia & New Zealand with Rabobank. Prior roles include Regional Manager WA, interim CEO of Rabobank New Zealand and national manager Farm Support. In this role, Crawford has responsibility for developing and implementing the next steps of Rabobank’s local sustainability action plan, importantly supporting our clients to best manage environmental risks along with maximising market opportunities in the sustainability space.

Jane Wardle, Quality and Sustainability Manager – Marketing and Trading at CBH Group

Sustainable Grain: The spectrum of demand and opportunities to maximise value for WA
The demand for sustainably produced food is increasing, primarily driven by consumers and investors. CBH Marketing and Trading has found, through it’s customer survey, that the level of demand and definition of what sustainability means varies across our markets and customers. These survey findings identify some key opportunities for WA growers now and into the future.

Jane joined CBH in November 2019 in the newly created role of Sustainability Manager in the Marketing and Trading team and is responsible for implementing the departments’ sustainability strategy. Before joining CBH, Jane held regional quality positions at George Weston Foods and in operations roles within Viterra. Jane has a Master’s degree in Food Technology and is passionate about the food and agribusiness industry and how the demand for sustainability is shaping it.

Following the keynote presentations, a Panel Discussion will take place led by Ash Wiese, Grower, GIWA Chair and GIWA Oat Council Chair. Panel members include the following:

• Ash Wiese, Grower, GIWA Chair and GIWA Oat Council Chair
• Reuben Blackie, Sustainable Agriculture Manager (APAC and AMESA regions), PepsiCo
• Crawford Taylor, Head of Sustainable Business Development, Rabobank
• Jane Wardle, Quality and Sustainability Manager – Marketing and Trading at CBH Group
• Dylan Hirsch, Grower and Nuffield Australia Scholar (2018)

Dylan Hirsch, Grower and Nuffield Australia Scholar

Dylan manages a cropping enterprise in the northern wheatbelt and is a 2018 Nuffield Scholar. Before farming he worked in mining environmental and grain trading compliance. Dylan’s practical experience across these sectors has reinforced for him the value of using certification schemes to link best practice farming with consumer expectations around sustainability, but as a grower, he also appreciates the administrative burden required to comply with certification schemes. As a farmer he is optimistic about where Australian farmers stand in regards to sustainability, but is aware of how difficult it is to export this message with our grain to consumers in foreign countries.

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