CSIRO-ABARES joint panel in the Science Summit at the 78th United Nations General Assembly

The Sustainability Science Scaffolding project of VS FSP, in collaboration with ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences), the CSIRO Towards Net Zero Mission and CSIRO’s Missions Office, hosted a virtual panel discussion titled ‘Innovation Policy for Sustainability – Reflections from Australian Agriculture’ on September 23rd, 2023. This event was an integral part of the Science Summit held alongside the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78), with the outcomes poised to provide valuable insights through feedback reports to the General Assembly. The session was recorded and is now available.

Participants in the panel included Peat Leith, Andy Hall (in absentia), and Rajesh GK from VS FSP, along with Michael Battaglia representing the TNZ Mission, Amelia Olsen-Boyd representing CSIRO’s Missions Office, and Rohan Nelson and Heleen Kruger from ABARES.

The panel delivered a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges in driving innovation for sustainability in Australia’s agriculture sector. Although numerous inquiries into Australia’s agricultural innovation system have shown its effectiveness in supporting productivity-enhancing technologies for commodity-based industries, a pressing concern remains. Sustainability-related challenges demand a higher degree of coordination that surpasses the capabilities and responsibilities of individual sector R&D systems.

Of particular significance was the panel’s presentation of the CSIRO – ABARES collaboration with a Community of Experts, which seeks to facilitate conversations and build evidence to bolster more integrated innovation policies for the future. This discussion garnered substantial interest from an international audience and sparked constructive dialogues on the topic.

Author – Rajesh GK