Did you know that one third of all our food depends on bee pollination? Bees are a vital part of agricultural systems around the world. As well as pollination of crops, bees are also relied on for producing honey and wax, with the honeybee industry in Australia worth more than $14 billion annually!
The world is facing pressures that threaten global food security and agricultural production – population growth, climate change and increasing competition for natural resources. Bees are a key part of the solution for the agriculture industry in Australia.
Join us for our free webinar titled “Seeding the Plants of Tomorrow” which celebrates World Bee Day by bringing together some of Australia’s best and brightest agriculture scientists and engineers, including esteemed ATSE Fellow and Deputy Director of CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Professor Michelle Colgrave FTSE.
This webinar is the latest in our 2024 Shape Your Future series, an educational initiative from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), which brings experts in science, technology and engineering into Australian classrooms for a virtual chat with students on the things that matter to them.
Speakers
Professor Michelle Colgrave FTSE
Deputy Director (Impact), CSIRO
Professor Michelle Colgrave is internationally known for her cutting-edge work in proteomics – the study of proteins – used to improve agriculture and food for the benefit of human health.
Michelle’s work focuses on providing optimum nutrition more sustainably. Her team supported the development of a canola variety that produces omega-3 oils. Michelle also helped develop the world’s first gluten-free barley. Her team is now examining oat cultivars for use in gluten-free diets. And with growing demand for protein globally for their role in food security.
Michelle’s experience extends beyond research into strategy development for policymaking. She is active in encouraging more women into science.
Mandy Walker
Elevate Leadership Scholar, Social Resources Pty. Ltd.
Mandy is a self-proclaimed outlier most comfortable sitting in the 95th percentile of the bell curve, for her this is where the magic happens. Her mission is to advocate for regional businesses, whether that be celebrating champions or rattling corporate cages in an effort to achieve equity across the Wheatbelt, it is her passion for family business that makes her who she is. Mandy believes in the ability of regional Australia to be the powerhouse of our nation’s economy and her family businesses are what is most important to her.
Mandy is an experienced leader she has led marine environment emergency response teams responding to marine oil spills from shipping and oil and gas activities for Western Australia. Most recently she led the operational and strategic activities at Regional Development Australia Wheatbelt which involved being a champion and advocate for regional issues across 42 local governments within the Wheatbelt region.
Amelie Cox
Elevate Undergraduate Scholar, The University of Queensland
Amelie completed her schooling in Tasmania, where she was part of the High Achievers Program through The University of Tasmania. An ATSE Elevate Undergraduate Scholar, Amelie moved to Queensland to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, majoring in Agronomy at the University of Queensland. Amelie is interested in how to feed a growing world with limited land, through adaptation of existing crop species and adoption of new foods not traditionally eaten in western society. Her dream is to work in the native foods industry after she graduates, combining her Aboriginality and her love for crops.