For rural communities, climate change and increased climate variability have social, environmental and economic impact. Working in teams at Agmentation 2023, you will ‘hack’ one of three challenge statements. At the end of the day each team will propose a project or program to address your chosen challenge statement.  Your team will present your ideas to a judging panel, and successful teams will be invited to work with the Armidale Node of the SQNNSW Innovation Hub to develop their idea.

Your proposal must have:

• A clear and specific definition of the challenge/problem
• Evidence to support the challenge/problem statement
• A description of the solution in the form of a project or program
• Identification of the risks and impact
• An estimate of the costs
• Identification of the target users or beneficiaries
• Next steps.

Your proposal will be documented in a modified Lean Canvas Model (provided), and reflect that:

• Every farm system is unique
• Your proposal needs to be designed and delivered within 6 months
• Your proposal cost must not exceed $200,000

Your team can choose from one of the following three challenge statements:

Challenge Statement 1: How might we encourage and promote on-farm practices that enable net zero? 

The agricultural sector is at the forefront of the fight for net zero emissions by 2050. Considering the unique challenges faced by farmers (including impact of climate change, soil degradation, and water scarcity), how will you build practical, scalable solutions to tackle this issue by the horns!

How might we engage with the agricultural sector to tell the story of on-farm practices that meet net zero emissions by 2050? How can the rural sector obtain net-zero? How might renewables feature contribute to the goal of net zero?

Challenge Statement 2:  How might we design farm businesses to be resilient in the face of extreme weather?

Farms across the globe are battling frequent and increasingly intense droughts, floods, fires, and heatwaves. How do you plan to innovate and build resilience in the agricultural sector to ensure long term sustainability and mitigate the impact of climate change on operations?

What could be an innovative program that would help farmers plan for and manage the increasing unpredictability and variability of our weather patterns? How do we build future farming to combat extreme weather?

Challenge Statement 3: How might we support improved wellbeing and resilience of rural communities?

How can we work with rural communities to develop and implement innovative solutions that promote mental health and well-being, build resilience, and empower individuals and communities to not only survive, but thrive?

What could be an innovative program that would improve the wellbeing and resilience of rural communities’ well-being and resilience? How do we ensure the wellbeing and resilience of rural communities?