“Influence and endurance” – honouring Dr Gabrielle Persley AM, the 2025 Crawford Fund Medal presentation

August 19, 2026

Dr Gabrielle Persley AM was officially awarded the 2025 Crawford Fund Medal at the 2026 Crawford Fund for Food Security Annual Conference last week.

The medal was presented to Dr Persley by the Hon Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the citation was delivered by Mr Shaun Coffey, Chief Executive of the Crawford Fund for Food Security.

Dr Persley has been recognised for her exceptional and sustained contribution to international agricultural research for development. Her distinguished career and enduring commitment have helped strengthen agricultural research, international collaboration and global food security.

In accepting the award, Dr Persley spoke of the influences in her life, particularly her family, and her colleagues, both in Australia, and globally; and the endurance shown by those around her to make an impact.

She had particular praise for Sir John Crawford and for Dr Denis Blight.

The Crawford Fund was named in honour of Sir John, a remarkable Australian, and a passionate supporter of international agricultural research for development.

“To work with Sir John Crawford in the early days of establishing ACIAR, it was an education in itself. Sir John had this amazing ability to be able to synthesise policy advice from a whole range of sources from economics through science and to present it in such a way that it was received and acted upon by governments of all persuasions. And, in terms of Sir John’s ability to be very caring for the people he worked for, he was really an exceptional role model,” she said.

Of Dr Denis Blight, she spoke of an enduring friendship and professional collaboration that has lasted more than 45 years. She called Dr Blight, a former Chief Executive of the Crawford Fund for Food Security, Australian diplomat and public servant, her “partner and collaborator in all this.”

Much of Dr Persley’s work has focused on Africa, through her leadership in initiatives such as Biosciences in eastern and central Africa (BecA) at the International Livestock Research Institute, the Demand-Led Breeding Program and her support for scholars in Africa through the Doyle Foundation.

“In terms of endurance, I’d just like to say a few words about my experience in working with African scientists in Africa… I have particular admiration for the African scientists who are working within national research programs and with the universities and they are doing many exciting innovations which are having real impact in the food and agriculture sector and improving livelihoods, but I think that they don’t actually get the support they need and certainly not the recognition which they deserve,” she said.

Congratulations Dr Persley for your influence and endurance in strengthening global food security!

You can watch the presentation below.