Five must-see sessions on day 1 of evokeAG. 2025
If you have to pick just five (but to be clear – you don’t), here are five can’t miss sessions on day one of the evokeAG. 2025 program.
AgriFutures evokeAG. 2025 is bringing the world’s brightest agritech minds to Brisbane on February 18-19 for two days of game-changing conversations and ideas set to transform the future of food.
Top Australian speakers include 2023 ACT Australian of the Year Olympia Yarger, Founder of Goterra, pioneering food waste-to-insect protein solutions; Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, the world’s first fully electric farm; agritech investment leader Kylie Frazer of Flying Fox Ventures; and Dr. Robert Van Barneveld, CEO of SunPork Group, producing 20% of Australia’s pork.
With a powerhouse emcee lineup in Saron Berhane, Tim Hunt, Oli Le Lievre, and Elizabeth Brennan, the 2025 event will inspire, challenge, push boundaries. Here’s five sessions you don’t want to miss on day one of the evokeAG. 2025 program (although let’s be honest, you don’t want to miss any of them!)
Dr Robert van Barneveld will be a speaker at evokeAG. 2025.
1. Tough questions: You ask, they answer
We’re breaking the keynote mold! No speeches, no scripted panels – this session puts you in the driver’s seat. Take the mic and ask the bold, challenging questions that matter most to the future of food production. One guideline: focus your questions on one of evokeAG. 2025’s core threads:
- Economics & Trade,
- Innovation & Future Technology,
- Sustainability & Environment,
- Workforce & Skills Gap.
A diverse panel of five experts including Anthony Lee, CEO and Director, Australian Country Choice, one of the world’s largest family-owned, vertically integrated cattle and beef supply chain organisations; and Jo Sheppard CEO, Queensland Farmers Federation will tackle these critical issues directly, setting the stage on the first day of evokeAG. 2025 and beyond.
2. Innovation uncut: Agritech wins, fails, and the lessons learned
Get an unfiltered take on agritech adoption in Australia’s ag supply chain. In fast-paced, 7-minute talks, leaders from aquaculture, and livestock share how tech transformed their businesses—and when it didn’t. Expect real stories, tough lessons, and insights on what works, what doesn’t, and why resilience is key. Innovation isn’t always smooth, but it’s all about adapting and pushing forward. Hear from Dr. Robert Van Barneveld, Group CEO, SunPork, and Bryan Van Wyk, Operations Manager, Austral Fisheries, and more in a soon-to-be-announced lineup.
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3. Sustainability by injection: Weight loss drugs and the future of food
How will food production change when consumers can manage calories with a simple injection? Weight loss drugs like Ozempic have skyrocketed from trends to titans, now worth more than Denmark’s entire economy. This session explores how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are reshaping eating habits, food demand, and the wider economy. Join us to dig into what the rise of anti-obesity meds means for agriculture and the complex balance of diet, health, and environmental impact. Professor Michelle Colgrave, Deputy Director (Food), Agriculture and Food, CSIRO; Adam Anders, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Anterra Capital and others will chew the (non) fat on this one.
4. What do you do? Real decisions, in a hypothetical crisis
What if Australia’s agrifood challenges became urgent realities? Enter the industry war room (modelled on Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypothetical), where leaders tackle high-stakes economic, geopolitical, and biosecurity crises head-on. It’s raw, unscripted, and unpredictable – prepare to be inspired and question everything.
Hear from trailblazing speakers including Tony Burnett Director, Queensland Operations, Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ); David Harris, Managing Director and CEO, Australian Agricultural Company; and Grant Statton Executive Director, AgriBusiness Connect, Chairman, Agtech and Logicstics Hub, and CEO, AATLIS.
Mike Casey, evokeAG. 2025 speaker | Image: Rewiring Aotearoa
5. Electric cherries: The world’s first 100% electric, zero fossil fuel orchard
Can agriculture ever go completely fossil fuel-free? Meet Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, who’s proving it’s possible with the world’s first fully electric orchard in Central Otago.
Discover how Mike transitioned Forest Lodge Orchard to fully electric cherry production, using innovative, cost-saving strategies that boost farm efficiency. His shift to electric machinery not only cuts costs but sets a powerful example for the future of agriculture, showing that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.
See the full program of events here. For more information about evokeAG. 2025, and to purchase tickets visit evokeag.com/2025. AgriFutures Australia is encouraging attendees to secure their tickets, flights, and accommodation early to avoid disappointment.