Vocal About Local

Garbage Eating Flies and Australian Grown Coffee - Meet Dr Olivia Reynolds - AgriFutures Australia Emerging Industries Senior Manager

Grown Not Flown Season 2 Episode 7

AgriFutures Australia is essentially a Research and Development organisation whose intent is assisting and serving the needs of Australia's rural communities. Their aim is to do this by delivering research and innovation that aims to give Australian farmers and producers real returns, as well as preparing them to thrive into the future.

But what industries have AgriFutures Australia been working with to help develop? Current industries include honey bee's and pollination, ginger, tea tree, goat fibre, buffalo, deer, rice and kangaroo. 

This week's episode however is with Dr Olivia Reynolds who works with those smaller industries trying to grow and prosper as she currently heads up the Emerging Industries Team for AgriFutures Australia.

Current emerging industries include Hemp, Seaweed, Sesame and Insects.

In this podcast Olivia talks about the benefits of industries having a strong collective interest and a well skilled industry body and how AgriFutures can assist industries trying to develop from there. We talk about the importance of research, how having the right skill set for an industry body is far more important than "self appointing" and some of the work that her and her team are undertaking - from Truffles, to Australians burgeoning coffee growers - we even touch on how insects are playing a role in a major australian city CBD in eradicating food waste. 

Hosts: Sam Baff from Grown Not Flown
Guest: Dr Olivia Reynolds - Senior Manager, Emerging Industries - AgriFutures Australia
Website: www.agrifutures.com.au
Instagram: @agrifuturesau