FARMERS across New South Wales – and the rest of the country – will today celebrate National Agriculture Day, with NSW Young Farmers’ Council chair Jess Ryan saying the New South Wales $25.5 billion agricultural sector not only provides a diverse range of careers but offers food security across Australia and around the world.

There was no time like National Agriculture Day to reflect on how food gets on the nation’s forks, Ms Ryan said, with agriculture playing a key role in everyone’s lives around the planet.

“Our farmers keep food on the table, clothes on our backs, people in jobs they love, and whole families caring for the land and ensuring food security for generations to come,” Ms Ryan said.

“It’s a sector with a really positive story – and it’s a story we need to start sharing far and wide, if we want to be able to feed the future.

“From the paddock to a plate at your favourite restaurant, or from the shearing shed to the fashion shows, agriculture is all around us, and we’re so lucky to have such an incredible sector right here in Australia,” she said.

“Our farmers are world leaders in what they do, with the sustainability and health credentials of our fresh food second to none, and our fibre is very much in demand across many different markets.

“We should be proud of all we have achieved as Australian agriculture, and ready to tell our good story of farming for food security with the world.”

NSW Young Farmers Council chair Jess Ryan with NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty (left) at NSW Parliament House recently (Image: NSW Young Farmers Council).

Meanwhile, the New England north-west community is invited to Stand With The Land today at the UNE Armidale Campus for an event to unpack how agriculture responds to a shifting global landscape.

Hosted by the UNE SMART Region Incubator (SRI), the event will see farmers, researchers and business leaders join forces to unpack how natural capital, supply chains and global markets are shaping choices from the farm gate to the dinner plate.

The day will also feature a Wild Ideas panel, where experts present fresh solutions to emerging challenges in agriculture.

Alex Cook, interim director, UNE SRI, says it will be a unique opportunity to hear from experts in global procurement and commercial strategy, specialists in optimising agricultural landscapes for biodiversity and profitability, professionals with deep knowledge of natural capital, and experienced leaders in the consumer goods and Landcare agriculture sectors.

“Attendees will hear from people shaping change in farming and across the industry and will leave with ideas they can actually implement in their businesses,” she said.

“The big thing we’re looking forward to, though, is those in-between conversations over coffee and lunch – because sometimes the best takeaway isn’t from the stage, it’s from the person sitting next to you.”