Wednesday 26 February 2025 – Side events
Workshops / Forums
Future Horticulture Forum | 9:30am – 3:00pm | Get tickets here
Tackling Food Waste Together: Solutions for a Sustainable Future | Dr Jonathan Middis, End Food Waste Australia | 11:30am – 1:30pm | Get tickets here
Click here for details on Workshops.
Experiences
Levenvale Farm Experience | 10am – 4pm
Click here for more details.
6:30 pm
Welcome Function
Thursday 27 February 2025 – Summit Day 1
8:30 am
Registration / Coffee / Tea
9:00 am
Welcome
Welcome | Kim Berry (MC), Food & Drink Business
Welcome to Country | Richard Widders, Aboriginal Elder of the Garlambirla guuyu Girrwaa
Welcome from the Chair | Fiona Simson, FFS Chair
Welcome from the Mayor | Mayor Nikki Williams, City of Coffs Harbour
9:30 am
CALL for collaboration
Collectively, we can make a change (a conversation)
Dr Oz Dedehayir (Chair), Queensland University of Technology
Nicole McNaughton, Food and Agribusiness Network
Simon Latchford, City of Coffs Harbour
The Power of Connection | Dr Lou Conway, UNE SMART Region Incubator
Future Food Systems Feedback and future | Dr Angus Crossan, Impact Innovation
10:30 am
Morning tea / Networking
11:00 am
Partnerships: Forging connections (panel)
Representatives from clusters, co-operatives, and governing bodies come together to explore the benefits and opportunities of a systems-based approach in addressing challenges and driving innovation in the agrifood sector.
Dr James Krahe (Chair), FFS
Shaun Tholen, Oz Group Co-op, Nambucca Macnuts
Kris Cooling, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
Louise Tran, OzHarvest Ventures
Fiona Barden, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
12:00 pm
Future food: Possibilities (keynotes)
Produce Prescription: improving health outcomes | Kimberly Glover, The George Institute for Global Health
From ocean to table: The future of seaweed in Australian food processing sector | Dr Rishi Naik, University of New South Wales Sydney
What will we be eating in 100 years | Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, FOODiQ Global
1:00 pm
Lunch / Networking
2:00 pm
Nourishing future food (keynotes)
Pioneering new nutritional benchmarks | Dr Ruey-Leng Loo, Australian National Phenome Centre
Closing the loop on alternate nutrients | Tim Cassettari, FOODiQ Global
2:40 pm
Technology: enabling better outcomes (keynote)
Spatially enabling horticulture | Craig Shephard, Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre at UNE
3:00 pm
Afternoon tea / Networking
3:30 pm
Automation: Benefits and upskilling (keynote)
Robotic technology for banana de-handing | Dr Chris Lehnert, Queensland University of Technology
4:00 pm
Manufacturing: Boosting agribusiness (panel)
Exploring the economic gains, community impact, and highlighting how local manufacturing can drive regional development and innovation.
Peter Schutz (Chair), FFS
Dr Chris Downs, Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)
Dr Akanksha Pahwa, Norco
Josh King, King Tide Brewing
Andrew Eves-Brown, TURBINE
Prof. Costas Stathopoulos, Food Futures Institute
5:00 pm
Close day 1
7:00 pm
Gala Dinner
Enjoy culinary delights at our Gala Dinner with the menu curated by popular chef and restaurateur, Mindy Woods
Mindy Woods, Chef, Restaurateur and Author
Friday 28 February 2025 – Summit Day 2
9:00 am
Together we can shape better outcomes (discussion)
Kim Berry (Chair), Food & Drink Business
Dave Gray, Uncle Stan’s
Shaun Tholen, Oz Group Co-op, Nambucca Macnuts
9:30 am
AgriTech: Simplifying tasks (panel)
Prof. Cordelia Selomulya (Chair), Future Food Systems, University of New South Wales Sydney
Dr Chris Lehnert, Queensland University of Technology
Daniel Grono, Costa
Wayne Ford, Vertical Patch
Craig Shephard, Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre at UNE
10:30 am
Morning tea / Networking
11:00 am
Future food: Possibilities and reality (keynotes)
Bicultural cuisine: 60,000 years of flavour | Mindy Woods, Chef, Restaurateur and Author
Food 2050: An integrated food system | Dr Leif Lundin, CSIRO
11:40 am
Collaboration for sustainable food solutions and improved health outcomes (keynote)
This keynote will outline a newly established unique national initiative, focused on developing sustainable food solutions for improved health outcomes.
Prof. Roman Buckow, Centre for Food Science at La Trobe University
12:00 pm
Current challenges in innovation ecosystems (keynotes)
Realising opportunities for growth in regional agrifood ecosystems: Collaborative approaches to value chain development.
Realising opportunities for collaborative growth in regional agrifood ecosystems: The Coffs Agrifood Living Lab | Dr Jack Adams, Queensland University of Technology
Food policy integration: A case study of the Australian food policy landscape | Dr Lijun Summerhayes, Queensland University of Technology
Valorising Horticultural ‘Wastes’: Policy Approaches to Advancing Industry | Hannah Churton, Queensland University of Technology
1:00 pm
Lunch / Networking
2:30 pm
Opportunities for innovation ecosystems (panel)
Dr James Krahe (Chair), FFS
Prof. Doug Baker, Queensland University of Technology
Dr Mirjana Prica, TCI Oceania
3:15 pm
Closing announcements
3:30 pm
Close
5:00 pm
Closing function
Program subject to change
Program and speakers are subject to change.
FFS = Future Food Systems
CSIRO = Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
DPIRD = Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA)
QUT = Queensland University of Technology
UNSW = University of New South Wales
WSU = Western Sydney University
Program and speakers are subject to change.
FFS = Future Food Systems
CSIRO = Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
DPIRD = Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA)
QUT = Queensland University of Technology
UNSW = University of New South Wales
WSU = Western Sydney University