2022 GIWA Forum and GIWA Annual General Meeting

2022 GIWA Annual General Meeting

3.00pm to 4.00pm – GIWA Members only – registration (free) is essential.

• offered in-person and online.

2022 GIWA Forum

5.00pm to 8.00pm (Sundowner from 7pm) – All welcome!

• offered in-person and online.

This year’s Forum will focus on the Western Australian grain industry’s role in national and global food security.

Keynote Speakers:

• Professor Ross Kingwell, Chief Economist, Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre and Dr. Michael Robertson, Director CSIRO Agriculture and Food presenting on “Australia’s role in feeding a hungry world: Can we keep up with the global and domestic demand for grain?”
• Dr. John Ackerman, General Manager Trade and Market Access, Grains Australia presenting on “Driving forces for Australia’s trade; do we really understand what counts?”
• Pia van Wyngaard, Head of Chartering, CBH Group

Professor Ross Kingwell, Chief Economist, Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre

Ross is a highly respected agricultural economist; the author of more than 145 journal articles and book chapters, and more than 320 conference papers and policy reports. He is a professor in the School of Agriculture and Environment at the University of Western Australia, chief economist in the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre, and a leader of a small group of economists in the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Ross chairs the Australian Farm Institute’s research advisory committee. He has been a co-editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and is a former president and now distinguished fellow of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.

Dr. Michael Robertson, Director CSIRO Agriculture and Food

Dr Michael Robertson is the Director of CSIRO Agriculture & Food. He is based in Perth, Western Australia. His research background is in agricultural science, with an undergraduate degree from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and a PhD from the University of Queensland, specialising in crop agronomy and simulation modelling. He had a 2-year post-doctoral stint in the USA in the early 1990’s.

Michael has worked for CSIRO in Townsville, Brisbane and Perth where his work has aimed to develop and use information-intensive methods and products (e.g., predictive models, precision agriculture, digital innovation) to inform better management regimes for farming systems. Michael has served in various leadership roles in CSIRO and was Deputy Director in CSIRO Agriculture & Food prior to his current role. He has led teams that impact on farm practice, agribusiness activities, and commercial ventures. Michael also has led multi-disciplinary teams to tackle complex agricultural issues, and has worked from the tropics to the temperate zone and with all major broadacre industries.

Dr. John Ackerman, General Manager Trade and Market Access, Grains Australia

John has over 30 years’ experience in the agriculture sector, focused on all aspects, including research, policy development, and industry representation, covering domestic and international elements, including trade and market access matters.

John has just returned to Australia having spent the last 16 years in Indonesia where he developed a thorough understanding of the many complex factors that drive trade and market access. There, his various roles included that of founding Director of PT Mitra Asia Lestari, a company focused on producing sound research, sustainable business development, and increasing leadership capacity within Southeast Asia’s agriculture and fisheries sectors; Regional Manager of Meat and Livestock Australia’s SE Asia office where he implemented and managed programs to improve animal welfare matters and to ensure the reopening of the live cattle trade to Indonesia; and he headed up the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry office within the Australian Embassy in Indonesia where he successfully achieved recognition for Australia’s food safety systems, minimising trade barriers for Australia’s billion-dollar grain and horticulture industries.

Pia van Wyngaard, Head of Chartering, CBH Group

Pia has worked within CBH’s Marketing and Trading division for close to ten years, first within the trading team, and over the last few years managing CBH’s chartering team. She is responsible for chartering the majority of vessels utilised by CBH Marketing and Trading to export grain from Western Australia. Pia manages CBH’s commercial relationships with shipowners, traders and brokers and provides guidance and expertise to CBH on developments, trends and challenges within the global shipping environment.

Major GIWA Forum Sponsor:

Parking available:

CCP carpark next door to the Westin:
CPP Fire Station, Open 24 Hours, City of Perth Parking

Wilson public carpark underneath the Westin:
Hibernian Place Car Park (Wilson Carpark) – 480 Hay Street, Perth