TropAg 2015

Under the theme of meeting productivity challenges in the tropics, the inaugural Tropical Agriculture Conference 2015 will give primary producers from across northern Australia the chance to discuss solutions to this key issue – and others – with experts from some of the world’s hottest countries.

“It’s an exciting time for tropical agriculture and food science as we strive to address some of the biggest challenges of our lifetime,” says Robert Henry, Professor of Innovation in Agriculture and Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland (UQ).  “How will we feed an increasing population in the tropics? And what are the opportunities presented by rapidly rising living standards across Asia?”

The TropAg 2015 conference program will highlight research advances in the various agricultural industries located in subtropical and tropical regions, including livestock – beef, dairy, pork and poultry; grains and pulses; sugarcane; and horticultural crops.

“The goal of the conference is to bring together many of the leading scientific voices and facilitate cross-border collaboration, new project development and technology transfer – with a focus on the delivery of a diverse range of tropical and subtropical agricultural scientific advances for the food, plant and animal industries,” Professor Henry says.

An exceptional line-up of international keynote speakers includes:

• Queensland Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon William (Bill) Byrne;
• Imperial College, London’s Sir Gordon Conway;
• Professor Wayne Powell of CGIAR (UK);
• Professor Cathie Martin from the UK’s John Innes Centre;
• Dr Donald Nkrumah of the US-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and
• Dr Vivienne Anthony from the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Switzerland, as well as
• Margaret Stuart from Nestlé, Australia;
• Professors Graeme Hammer and Michael Gidley from QAAFI at the University of Queensland (UQ); and
• CSIRO Australia’s Dr Mario Herrero.

The research presented will cover various aspects of tropical agriculture, pre- and post-farmgate, but the primary focus will be on agricultural products, most of which are used for food.

For more information, visit the official conference website. To register, go to the TropAg registration page.