Key Points
- AgriFutures Australia is calling for a step‑change in how Australia's agricultural innovation system delivers outcomes, adoption and impact at scale.
- Leaders warned the globally respected Australian RDC system must evolve faster to meet rising productivity, sustainability and resilience pressures.
- The message was delivered in the opening address to almost 2,000 present at evokeᴬᴳ⋅ 2026 in Melbourne, highlighting the need for coordinated, performance‑driven innovation.
AgriFutures Australia Chair The Hon Mick Veitch and Managing Director Ms Brianna Casey AM , today used the opening address at evokeᴬᴳ⋅ to call for a transformational change in performance across Australian agriculture's innovation system, with a renewed focus on outcomes, adoption and impact at scale.
Remarks from AgriFutures leadership
The Chair and Managing Director addressed almost 2,000 leaders from farming, research, technology, investment and government, and said Australia has built a globally respected Research and Development Corporation (RDC) system that is the cornerstone of the nation's agricultural capability. However, both cautioned that Australia's innovation ecosystem must continue to evolve to meet the demands of the decade ahead.
"Australia has built a high-quality research and development system that connects producers, research excellence and long-term investment in outcomes," Mr Veitch said.
"It is a rare national asset, and it has served Australian agriculture, and indeed the Australian economy.
"What is clear is that Australian agriculture is facing bigger challenges than it ever has before, and the broader research and innovation ecosystem will need to lift to meet those challenges and ensure the system is delivering at the pace and scale this moment demands.
"If we get this right, the benefits will be felt on farm, in regional communities, across the national economy and in global markets."
The Managing Director also said that Australian agriculture is entering a new era, shaped by growing global demand, climate pressure, market volatility and rising expectations around sustainability and transparency, requiring a system-wide approach to innovation and investment.
"This is not a time for incremental change," Ms Casey said.
"Productivity, profitability and sustainability must now advance together, faster than ever before. That means an innovation system that can move with speed, coordination and purpose to deliver impact at scale.
"Innovation is more than technology. It's people, capability, trust, investment pathways and adoption. The real test of our system is not whether we can generate good ideas, but whether we can translate and scale what works into practical outcomes on farm and across industries."
Looking ahead
Within the national innovation system, AgriFutures Australia has a distinct role, strengthening the connections that turn ambition into adoption, backing emerging industries, accelerating impact, and aligning producers, innovators, researchers, investors and government.
AgriFutures is beginning a new chapter, with a keen focus on performance and impact, ensuring the strongest possible return on investment for farmers and the community.
"AgriFutures welcomes and accepts the challenge the Australian Government has set," Mr Veitch said.
"We are fully committed to advancing our industries and the Government's priorities of productivity, sustainability and resilience, and to working constructively across the RDC system to deliver on shared priorities, avoid duplication and increase impact."
Ms Casey said adoption would be central to AgriFutures' approach.
"Adoption is where innovation proves its value," Ms Casey said.
"Our focus is on measurable outcomes such as productivity, profitability, capability uplift, and ensuring there is a clear line of sight from investment to impact."
The opening address at evokeᴬᴳ⋅ also marks the beginning of a focused listening period for AgriFutures, with insights informing the organisation's future role and priorities within the broader innovation ecosystem.
"evokeᴬᴳ⋅ brings together people with diverse perspectives from farming, technology, research, investment, policy and global markets. It is a leadership moment where assumptions are challenged, priorities are clarified, and partnerships are formed to deliver lasting impact," Mr Veitch said.
AgriFutures Australia acknowledges evokeᴬᴳ⋅. Platinum Partner Elders, Major Partner the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Host State Partner Agriculture Victoria.
