Climate change is no longer a theoretical risk to Australian agriculture. It’s an economic and operational challenge for today’s producers. Across farming systems, the effects of climate variability are already shaping productivity, land values, and long-term viability. Climate change inaction compounds these pressures, increasing exposure to the impacts of a changing climate (such as water scarcity, heat stress, and extreme weather) while narrowing the window for effective adaptation.
Australia's agricultural sector is entering a new era of innovation, collaboration, and opportunity. evokeAG. 2026 brings together producers, researchers, technology developers, and industry leaders to explore practical solutions and emerging opportunities shaping the future of Australian agriculture. With a dedicated program featuring producer focused sessions, evokeAG. 2026 offers valuable insights into innovation adoption, climate adaptation strategies, emerging technologies, and market dynamics - all designed to support producers in navigating today's challenges and opportunities.
Today’s food and fibre producers are navigating tighter margins, shifting climate conditions, and growing scrutiny over land stewardship. But at the same time, the way we manage our soils, vegetation, and production systems could be the most scalable opportunities our country has to draw carbon out of the atmosphere.
Climate change is already reshaping the conditions under which food is grown, and the risks of inaction are becoming increasingly clear. Rising temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and shifting rainfall patterns are placing sustained pressure on yields, farm profitability, and long-term land productivity.
Open source innovation may emerge as one of the most important philosophies to shape our agrifood future. What began as a software movement has evolved into a powerful framework for accelerating scientific progress, reducing development costs, and strengthening resilience across complex industries. As global agriculture confronts climate risk, labour constraints, shifting biosecurity pressures, and increasing digitalisation, open source innovation models offer a pathway to scale solutions faster, more transparently, and with broader industry benefit.
Innovation in agrifood isn’t just about robotics, AI, or climate-smart tech. It’s also about how we design spaces that reflect the realities of the people driving change. Here Harriet Melish, General Manager for Global Innovation Networks at AgriFutures Australia, explores why free, on-site childcare at evokeAG. 2026 is a deliberate move toward inclusion — not just for parents, but for a more equitable agrifood innovation ecosystem.
Making it easier for people from diverse backgrounds to work in agriculture could help with labour shortages. People in Paddocks founder and evokeAG. Startup Program alumni, Sam Pritchard aims to do just that.
Applications are now open for the evokeAG. 2026 Startup Program. For startups ready to scale, this is your chance to showcase solutions to investors and industry leaders. Just ask Canadian startup RHST Industries, who turned a single conversation at Startup Alley into on-farm trials for their breakthrough water-saving technology. Applications close Friday, 24 October 2025 at 5.00pm AEDT.
In the race to fund agri-food tech, well-meaning questions like “How many jobs will this create?” are quietly killing momentum. But what if the most transformative startups aren’t the ones with big headcounts — yet? Here, Tenacious Ventures’ Maddie Mitchell and Sarah Nolet unpack the hidden traps of early-stage impact measurement, and why Australia’s agtech sector is uniquely positioned to lead with long-term vision. From emissions blind spots to the timing trap, they argue that real impact takes patience, and the courage to wait.
Applications are now open for the evokeAG. Startup Program 2026, giving startups the chance to rub shoulders, shake hands and sign on the dotted line with potential investors, partners, and customers at evokeAG. 2026 in Melbourne. Here are our top tips to help your application rise to the top
