Agribusiness Australia has elected Mark Barber as the new chair. The appointment was made early this month after Mark Allison decided to step away after a decade in the role.
At the AGM on 1 September, Agribusiness Australia also reappointed Patrick McClelland to the board who will retain his role as deputy chair, along with two new directors, Elizabeth Jackson and Paul Thompson.
The changes provide stability to Agribusiness Australia’s leadership, while injecting new capabilities and perspectives, setting up the organisation for another three years of sectoral advocacy, promotion and leadership.
Outgoing chair Mark Allison said Agribusiness Australia’s strong position reflects the growing importance agribusiness plays in the Australian economy, overcoming challenges and volatility to provide prosperity and growth.
“Australian agribusiness has provided resilience and hope in the face of geopolitical challenges, climatic and economic volatility, growing strongly during the past 10 years,” he said.
“I’m proud of the role Agribusiness Australia has played in this period, driving understanding of sectoral issues through a range of reports, hosting hundreds of events, and challenging the status quo through advocacy and debate.
“We’ve help frame priorities and define the agri-value chain $300bn target and brought together CEOs from some of the biggest sectoral balance sheets in our CEO Summits.
“Throughout this time our membership has grown, and our financial position has remained sound, which is a real achievement given the challenges caused by lockdowns and social distancing during the pandemic.
“Now is the right time to handover to an experienced and diverse board of directors, and I couldn’t think of a better person than Mark Barber to lead the organisation, along with Agribusiness Australia’s committed staff,” Mr Allison said.
Mr Barber joined the board in 2017 when he was investment director at Laguna Bay Pastoral Company, and is now general manager, farmland agency and agribusiness investments at Elders. Mr Barber said he was pleased to take on the chair role, and ready to continue to drive Agribusiness Australia’s momentum.
“I look forward to providing stability and continuity to the leadership of the organisation, while we bed down new important initiatives and champion the role of the sector.
“Australian Agribusiness is dynamic and strong, despite ever present challenges and volatility. It’s underpinned by substantial asset values, renewed investment, and has a growing array of domestic and global markets and opportunities. ESG, while a challenge, also provides positive new frontiers for the sector.
“Agribusiness Australia is excited about realising not only these collective opportunities but supporting our member companies, organisations and individuals – and those across the sector – as they evolve, innovate, and grow.
“It’s an exciting time, and alongside my fellow directors, I look forward to continuing Mark’s legacy. On behalf of the board, members and everyone in the sector, I thank Mark for his advocacy and inspired leadership over a decade,” Mr Barber said.
It has been another successful year for Agribusiness Australia, delivering 19 networking events nationally, hosting more than 1000 guests who heard from experts discuss topics like supply chain disruption, workforce, ESG, carbon, agtech, and investment in agriculture.
The AGM was followed by Agribusiness Australia’s annual lunch, attended by more than 150 people. The event titled: ‘The Dirt on Carbon Farming: Insights from Industry Leaders' focused on the practical realities of carbon farming in Australia.
Agribusiness Australia exists to serve the Australian agribusiness sector, and its membership reflects the diversity of businesses in the sector. Agribusiness Australia is proud to support the work of its corporate and individual members, our community partners and network, and the Australian community.
Its vision for the future is a growing and thriving sector where individuals, organisations and industries can strive for and reach their full potential.
In short, our specific vision is a $300bn Australian agribusiness sector by 2030.
To achieve our vision we advance the interests of the Australian agribusiness sector through advocacy, promotion, and leadership, and we support our members through events, services, and platforms for engagement.
