BCG will coordinate the visit of a leading American researcher on agricultural data collection to Victoria next year thanks to the generous support of a sustainable agricultural fellowship program managed by the Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation (veski).
The announcement was made at a networking event on Monday, December 11 in Melbourne hosted by Australia’s chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel. BCG Chairman, Caroline Welsh and Board member Ian McClelland were in attendance to receive the award.
Dr Terry Griffin, a leading agricultural researcher from Kansas State University, will visit in early 2018 as part of an 18-month project to improve data collection and curation by Victorian grain farmers in partnership with BCG.
“Hearing from Terry’s experiences in the US on big data in agriculture will inspire our farmers about options for managing the data they own” Ms Welsh said.
“I’m looking forward to hearing Terry share his experiences with Australian farmers” she added.
Farmer data has the potential to transform the Australian agricultural sector by reducing labour and input costs, increasing yields and profitability as well as enabling greater traceability throughout the food supply chain.
The fellowships are part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to bringing world-class researchers to Victoria to help solve key issues facing the State, and are part of a range of programs which have been delivered by veski since 2004.
veski’s mission is to identify globally competitive individuals and leading researchers and bring them to Victoria for the benefit of the Australian economy. Primarily a foundation, which receives annual funding from the State Government, veski builds strategic partnerships with business, academic and philanthropic organisations and has a fellowship program encompassing innovation, inspiring women, postdoctoral research, health and medical research and the sustainable agricultural fellowship for which Dr Terry Griffin is now a recipient. BCG is also now a member of veski.
Dr Griffin’s project will identify and develop strategies to overcome barriers preventing farmers from collecting and collating farm data. The project will work with 40 farmers in north-west Victoria. Agriculture Victoria, Federation University, CSIRO, Longerenong College, Curtin University and Sydney University are also involved.
Since 2004, veski has delivered a dynamic program of fellowships, awards and international networks including the veski innovation fellowships. This established ans prestigious program brings Australian expatriates and leading researchers, with outstanding skills in science and innovative technology, typically in the top five percent of their respective fields, to Victoria.
Dr Griffin’s acceptance speech can be viewed below.
For more information please contact the BCG office on 03 5492 2787.
