Agriminders

Should we be eating more kangaroo meat? We cull and often ignore kangaroos as a source of food, yet our iconic animal could be the answer to a more sustainable source of meat given a more managed approach to their integration with farming and food production. Host Chris Russell speaks with principal of Australian Wildlife Services George Wilson and long-time surveyor of kangaroo populations about the potential welfare benefits as well as food & fibre resources we are ignoring by not harvesting kangaroos.

Are our horticultural industries over-reliant on overseas workers? The Australian fruit and vegetable industries arguably couldn’t exist without young backpackers and Pacific Islanders working on temporary visas, but is there a more sustainable solution to harvesting fruit and vegetables in Australia? Host Chris Russell speaks to CEO of Fresh Select, John Said about the pressure on producers to find labour and to Associate Professor in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School, Diane Van den Broek about the often challenging experiences that these migrant workers, who are dependent on this work for various visas, experience.

How is the fruit and vegetable industry responding to the claims of exploitation of backpackers and Pacific Islander workers? Host Chris Russell speaks to the CEO of Aus Veg, James Whiteside about the industry’s dependency on exploited labour and the potential for attracting more long-term Australian staff.

Are our farming methods impacting climate change? The Western Australian “Bunny Fence Project” suggests that farming itself may be an over-riding reason why droughts will increase. Host, Chris Russell, speaks to soil scientist & Founder of Environmental Earth Sciences International, Philip Mulvey, about how rehabilitating Australia’s soil may be the key to managing the climate above it.

Should we farm on Mars? Will humans need to expand to other planets to keep up with demand for agriculture? American aerospace engineer and President of the Mars Society, Robert Zubrin, is researching the possibilities. Robert joins host Chris Russell to discuss how humans might grow food on Mars, attempts to simulate Mars-like conditions on Earth and how accurate the film The Martian really is.

Are the fears around glyphosate legitimate? Glyphosate has arguably been one of the most transformational agricultural innovations of the last 50 years. However, following a recent court case in the USA, may now be under threat as a readily available tool in the hands of farmers due to cancer fears. Host Chris Russell speaks to Managing Director of Monsanto Australasia, Mr Tony May, about his company’s position on glyphosate and where he sees the current court actions leading. Chris also speaks to the Chair of Grain Producers Australia, Andrew Weidemann, about his feelings around this issue as he is arguably both the beneficiary and potential victim of this technology as a grain producer himself.

Glyphosate has facilitated major productivity increases and reduced environmental stress due to over-cultivation over the last 50 years. However, it has been classified as “probably cancer causing agent” by the International Agency for research on Cancer (IARC). How was this classification decided and what does it mean? Agricultural Scientist, Chris Russell, speaks to Cancer Epidemiologist and member of (IARC), Professor Lin Fritschi, who explains how and why glyphosate was classified as a “probably cancer causing agent” by this sub-group of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and what this means for farmers.

Climate Change - Will we successfully adapt to a changing climatic environment or alternatively what are the chances we will we be successful in adapting the climate to change to suit us? Host Chris Russell speaks to leading global environmental scientist Prof Will Stephans and Young Farmer of the Year and co-founder of the think-tank – “Climate Wise Agriculture,” Anika Molesworth, on the reality of climate change and the optimism of the next generation .

Climate Change - What is our plan B? Host Chris Russell speaks to member of the Nobel Peace Prize winning IPCC team, Professor Mark Howden, about what happens if we don’t reach our carbon emissions target.

Exploring the fears around Genetic Modification (GM) in our food and the agricultural industry. Host Chris Russell speaks to Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and member of the federal “Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee,” Prof Robert Henry, about the reality of the GM processes and what it means for our future food production.

Exploring our fears around Genetic Modification in fibre. Host Chris Russell speaks to Chief Research Scientist with CSIRO, Dr Danny Llewellyn, about why perceptions around Mendel's Genetics breeding differ to perceptions of gene editing and the impact that this has had on cotton

Cotton production is a much maligned industry in Australia due to its perceived high water usage but should we be telling farmers what to grow with their purchased irrigation water? Host Chris Russell discusses the water usage in cotton production with, Dave Anthony, CEO/Chair of Auscott (Australias largest cotton producer) and why cotton is so popular amongst irrigation farmers and the importance of cotton to the Australian economy.

Wool - Is there still a future for natural fibres like wool? Host Chris Russell speaks to Stuart McCullough, the Chief Executive of Australia’s peak wool marketing and research body, Australian Wool Innovation, about what the wool industry is doing to counter the cheaper synthetic materials and how it has responded to the demands of a very vocal and aggressive animal rights movements.

The red meat industry in Australia is facing an uncertain future due to Animal Welfare issues, cheaper meat alternatives and the rise of vegetarianism and veganism. Yet, the middle class in developing countries like China & Indonesia are developing a growing taste and high demand for red meat pushing up both meat and live exports. Host Chris Russell speaks to Chief Executive of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Richard Norton, about how the industry is changing to meet the new place of red meat in global food demand.

The trigger for 21st Century conflict may well be fresh water. Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell finds out what lessons we can learn from rivers shared between countries at war and how we can apply that to water management in Australia. This episode’s Agriminder is Dr David Michel from the Transboundary Water Management Department of the Stockholm International Water Institute.

The tension between water used for agriculture, the water demands of the environment and the water needs of communities, has been the source of much debate and conflict going right back to Federation. Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell finds out who have been the winners and losers in our water policies of the last decade – or if it been actually been a “win-win”? The Agriminders in this episode are CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council, Steve Whan and former CEO of Coleambally water, John Culleton.

It took 95 years for the states to agree on a national water plan, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell explores whether or not it has been successful. Our Agriminder in this episode is the Chair of The Murray-Darling Basin Authority, the Hon Neil Andrew MP.

Energy miners Vs farmers Vs the environment. Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell explores the fears around mining and asks if coal and gas are really necessary to secure our agricultural future.Our Agriminders in this episode are leading global authority on Renewable Energy, Dr Sven Teske and the grazier leading the charge against coal seam gas mining in central NSW, David Chadwick.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture, John Anderson AO, explains to Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell why he believes the we can “have our cake and heat it too” when it comes to energy in Australia.

Are perception and emotion over-riding fact when it comes to the realistic comfort, needs and rights of animals that are in our care for agricultural production? Australian animal production is at risk and Agricultural Scientist Chris Russell seeks to explore whether this industry would be an unnecessary loss or if it is in fact animal husbandry that is unacceptable. Our Agriminder in this episode is Executive Director of The Australian Farm Institute Michael Keogh OAM.