2026 Conference Program
CONFERENCE NETWORKING DINNER KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Monday 10 August 2026, 6:00pm-9:30pm, The Great Hall, Parliament House
Keynote Address by The Hon Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
The Vote of Thanks will be presented by Ms Megan Williams, Co-Vice President, RAID Network.
Closing comments will be presented by Mr Shaun Coffey FTSE, CRSNZ, FAIA, FAICD, Chief Executive, Crawford Fund for Food Security
CRAWFORD FUND FOR FOOD SECURITY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Emerging Voices Shaping Regional Integration for a Food Secure World
Tuesday 11 August 2026, The Great Hall, Parliament House
DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAM (PDF) HERE
08.00 REGISTRATION
08.30 OPENING SESSION – WELCOME
Ms Su McCluskey FCPA FTSE, Chair, Crawford Fund for Food Security
08.40 Ms Victoria Anderson, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
09.00 Keynote: Dr Sandra Milach, Chief Scientist, CGIAR
Chair: Ms Su McCluskey, FCPA FTSE, Chair, Crawford Fund for Food Security
09.20 MODERATED Q&A
9.45 ‘EMERGING VOICES’ poster presentations
10.00 MORNING TEA
10.30 SESSION 2
‘From Talanoa to action: with Pacific Pre-COP ahead what does implementation of agri-climate solutions look like?’
Chair: Dr George Carter, Senior Fellow and Deputy Head, Department of Pacific Affairs and Director, ANU Pacific Institute
Dr Tekini Nakidakida, Pacific policy action representative and Deputy Secretary Agriculture Department, Fiji, lead UNFCCC COP agriculture negotiator
Ms Sally Higgins, Youth Climate Champion for COP31
Ms Imelda ‘Dada’ Bacudo, FAO convenor for regional momentum on agri-climate action & contribution to NDCs
Dr Sally Box, Division Head, International Climate Negotiations, Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
11.30 GUIDED DISCUSSION and Q&A
12.15 ‘EMERGING VOICES’ poster presentations
12.30 LUNCH
13.15 SESSION 3
Agriculture as a driver of climate adaptation, economic stability, and regional peace. Case studies showcasing research that delivers practical solutions for nutrition, sustainability, and community resilience
Climate-smart premium rice, securing future value chains in the Mekong Delta
Professor Jaquie Mitchell, Discipline Lead, Crop Science of School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability & Director of Research of School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, University of Queensland
From salinity to food security – transforming cropping systems in the Ganges Delta
Dr Mohammed Mainuddin, Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment
From waste to wealth – the journey from Africa to the Pacific of the Black Soldier Fly
Dr Dennis Beesigamukama, Postdoctoral Fellow, ICIPE
Stopping TR4 – the global race to save bananas
Dr Tony Pattison, Senior-Principal Researcher, Queensland Department of Primary Industries
14.15 GUIDED DISCUSSION and Q&A
14.45 ‘EMERGING VOICES’ poster presentations
15.00 AFTERNOON TEA
15.30 SESSION 4
Exploring multi-country research platforms, shared adaptation strategies, trilateral partnerships, and cross-border innovation that strengthen food-system resilience
Keynote: Dr Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Crop Trust
15.50 SHIFTS IN REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND THE WAY FORWARD
Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General , ICRISAT
Dr Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Crop Trust
Mr Soane Patolo Jr, CEO – MORDI Tonga Trust, Adjunct Associate Professor, Researcher at Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Ms Sally Higgins, Youth Climate Champion for COP31
Mr Clayton Simamao, Samoan Farmers Association
16.40 Discussion / Q&A
17.00 SUMMING UP AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Ms Rosemary Deininger, Former Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
17.30 CLOSE