HOW will farmers tackle the many and varied new challenges thrown at them by increasingly city-based consumers?
This is a question a leading agricultural strategist will tackle at a Sheepvention seminar this year.
Another seminar topic sure to spark some head-scratching is how societies deal with booming populations and dwindling resources.
Sheepvention seminar convenor Leo Cummins said agriculture would continue to face challenges and farmers needed to constantly work at becoming better risk managers.
"As always, most of these risks are not simply about the technology of food and fibre production, but about politics, environmental concerns, culture, science and economics," he said.
At a breakfast seminar on Tuesday, Ag Concepts Unlimited managing director Robert Herrmann will speak about how the "future belongs to innovators".
Leo said the talk would focus on many of the new risks associated with marketing.
He said that, worldwide, increasing urbanisation produced a population with little exposure to the day-to-day problems of farming.
"In western countries, in particular, food safety and tracking, animal welfare and environmental concerns will continue to drive changes in agricultural markets," Leo said.
Robert's talk will point out that farmers will need to manage more than climatic variation.
He will discuss how proper risk management may have helped identify the problems in Indonesia regarding treatment of exported cattle, before the situation blew up.
Also on Tuesday morning, Julian Cribb, a science communicator, will speak about the risks and solutions for global food security.
Julian will discuss estimates that, globally, agriculture will need to produce 70 per cent more food to feed a world population that will increase from 6.8 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050.
Tickets to the breakfast seminar are available for $15 from Hamilton P & A Society, phone (03) 5572 2563 or email info@hamiltonshowgrounds. com.au
