Wagga, a room full of farmers and some straight talking about emissions

The Digital Agrifood Summit in Wagga Wagga brought together farmers, researchers and agtech businesses last week for a day focused on where Australian agriculture is heading- and our co-founder Will Onus was there representing Ruminati.

The conversations Will had with producers across the day reflected something the team sees consistently at events like this: farmers want to hear from people who understand what it's actually like to run a farm. Will's background as a producer himself shifts the nature of those discussions. Questions about emissions tracking don't stay theoretical for long when both sides of the conversation have stood in a paddock trying to work out how to manage inputs, productivity and margin simultaneously.

The sustainability conversation in agriculture has gained significant momentum over the past couple of years, and events like the Digital Agrifood Summit are part of why. Bringing producers into direct contact with the tools, technologies and ideas shaping the industry creates the kind of engagement that a policy document or a supply chain requirement notice can't replicate. Producers who understand the emissions landscape - what's being asked of them, where the requirements are heading and what a good baseline looks like - are better equipped to make decisions that serve their business rather than just respond to external pressure.

The exhibitor lineup was strong, with fellow agtech businesses including Farmbot, AgronomEye, FarmSimple and Pairtree Intelligence all contributing to a day with a good density of practical conversation.

Thanks to Charles Sturt University, Charles Sturt AgriPark and Food Agility CRC for putting together an event that brought the right people into the same room. See you at the NFF Conference next week!