Acclaimed agricultural scientist, thought leader and science communicator Kevin M. Folta recently visited Birchip, sharing his expertise and experience with a crowd of more than 50 farmers, business people and students from around the region.
Dr Folta was the keynote speaker at the inaugural BCG Chairman’s breakfast hosted by John Ferrier on Thursday, 15 August. The Chairman’s Breakfast brings national and international thought leaders to Birchip to promote high level discussion about the future of agriculture and of the region.
Dr Folta’s talk focused on ‘building trust in agriculture in the post-truth era’ and investigated how agricultural communities, like Birchip, can tell our stories in a way that communicates directly with a new generation of engaged and interested consumers.
BCG Chair John Ferrier said that Dr Folta’s visit provided a unique and valuable opportunity for Birchip locals and BCG guests to learn more about science communication from one of the world’s best.
“Consumers are becoming more interested in how their food is grown, how sustainable it is and the types of inputs and practices that are used to grow it. This provides farmers and farming communities with a great opportunity to tell their story and help differentiate their products, but it also means we need to get better at helping consumers understand what happens on farm and why.”
“Kevin’s passion for agriculture and his drive to tell the truth in the face of strident criticism give him a unique perspective on many of the big issues facing the industry today. His visit to Birchip was particularly timely given recent stories about glyphosate, animal activism, climate change and the ongoing debate about GMOs. Kevin was particularly impressed with the quality of questions from the audience and appreciated a local farm tour and discussions with locals to really understand the current challenges and opportunities for agriculture in our region.”
Dr Folta is a Professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. He has been recognised for his science communication efforts, speaking with public audiences, and training scientists and agricultural producers to be better communicators. In 2016 he was recognised with the prestigious CAST Borlaug Award in Agricultural Communications and was named as the Ag Pro Person of the Year.
He was in Australia as a guest of Marcus Oldham College as part of the Centre for the Study of Agribusiness’ guest speaker series. A recording of his presentation is available on the BCG Facebook page.
