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Rural Press Club event to explore role of aid-funded ag research

Grain Central, March 29, 2023

John Anderson AC

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson will chair a panel session at a breakfast in Brisbane on April 20 exploring the important role Australian-funded agricultural research plays in underpinning food security in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the often unseen benefits of that research back to Australia.

Recent Doing Well by Doing Good reports by the Crawford Fund have highlighted real and long-lasting benefits to Australian aid-funded agricultural research.

Chairman of the Crawford Fund and Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson said that with a conservative ballpark benefit-to-cost ratio of 10:1 to Australia and to the researchers involved, it’s “a no-brainer” to grow the aid funding of agriculture for development from the current level of around 2.5 percent of the aid budget.

“While aid-funded agricultural research is altruistic, the aftermath is a rich flow back to our rural industries at home,” Mr Anderson said.

The Rural Press Club of Queensland will host a panel discussion involving three leading Queensland agricultural researchers and thinkers – Dr. Brian Keating, Dr Beth Woods, Professor Lee Hickey – and chaired by Mr Anderson at a breakfast event in Brisbane at the Tattersalls Club on Thursday, April 20.

Tickets are are now on sale and can be purchased here.

“We often find a lack of understanding about the mutual benefits of investment and partnerships in international agricultural research among our Ag Community and we hope this breakfast will strengthen the support for increased aid funding,” said Mr Anderson, who also served as Minister for Primary Industries and Leader of the National Party of Australia.

Panelists

Dr Keating received the prestigious Crawford Fund medal for an enduring significant contribution to international agricultural research through a career focused on the productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems in Australia and sub-Saharan Africa. He will focus on mutual benefit of work in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Woods is the former director-general of the Qld Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and currently chairs the Council of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and is a member of the Commission for International Agricultural Research. She will speak to the press club on the mutual benefit of work in the Asia-Pacific.

Professor Hickey is a Qld Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation plant breeder and member of the Crawford FundHe leads a diverse research team that specialises in plant-breeding innovation for crops like wheat, barley, mungbean and chickpea. He mentors many PhD students, and his talk will focus on their experience of personal and professional impacts of their involvement in research for food security.

Registrations are open for the RPC’s April Breakfast, Doing Well by Doing Good and tickets are available on the website event’s page: https://www.ruralpressclub.com.au/events/event/rpcs-april-breakfast-doing-well-by-doing-good

 

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