Ag2050 Scenarios Hackathon: designing our future farming systems
A visualisation of discussions captured across teams as they explored the future Ag2050 scenarios and emerging challenges
Understanding what our farming systems could look like by 2050 is the first step in preparing for the future risks, opportunities and uncertainties facing producers. But what should we be doing now to respond to these futures?
Identifying the mission-critical sociotechnical solutions and innovations to develop and test is a key piece in realising a productive, resilient and sustainable future for the agriculture sector and regional communities.
Our brightest minds
We recently kicked off this process by running an Ag2050 Scenarios Hackathon with a diverse group of CSIRO scientists and innovators. This hackathon brought together some of our brightest minds to think through the emerging problems that producers are likely to face by 2050 and identify the research and development pathways needed to tackle these challenges.
Our goal was to identify opportunities to enhance the desirable aspects of our future farming scenarios – the outcomes we want to see – whilst mitigating against foreseeable risks, barriers or unknowns.
A visualisation of teams exploring potential ways in which we could address or mitigate the emerging challenges facing Australia’s farming system
Unpacking the scenarios
The teams began by unpacking the four scenarios presented in the Ag2050 Scenarios Report to understand the different trade-offs and outcomes that each future presents. We then deep-dived into the different challenges these futures present for the agriculture sector and regional communities. This discussion raised topics ranging from how we might support landholders in navigating future climate and sustainability transitions, to how might we manage future labour and market uncertainties.
These challenges became the focus of a solution-focused discussion, where the teams brainstormed and pitched their proposed approach for tackling an emerging problem. This pitch included identifying key industry, government and research partners for CSIRO in developing these opportunities and ensuring they are fit for the future.
This design-led process is designed to engage key thought leaders and decision-makers in rapidly and collaboratively identifying what we need to be doing in response to the emerging futures facing Australia’s farming systems. By co-designing solutions together with industry, government and researchers, we aim to begin to map out a pathway towards a productive, resilient and sustainable farming future in 2050.
Read more about the Ag2050 Scenarios Report.