Work with Purpose - Global Perspectives | 26 October 2020

Welcome to our special podcast series, ‘Work with Purpose – Global Perspectives’. This program explores the incredible work Australian public servants do around the world to deliver not just for Australians, but for the people of other countries.

'AN EXTRAORDINARY APS' WITH THE AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

One might not necessarily associate an APS career with building fish ladders along the Mekong river to facilitate upstream fish passage and feed millions of people who rely on this important protein. Or measuring soil moisture to inform farmers exactly when, and how much to water their crops. Or developing climate-smart livestock product systems to improve overall livestock health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These are just some of the extraordinary projects the perhaps lesser known Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) are spearheading, in partnership with academia, industry and international governments, to improve the lives and livelihoods of developing communities across the globe, as well as back home in Australia.

In this episode, ACIAR’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Campbell, leads an awe-inspiring discussion with ACIAR Research Program Managers: Dr Ann Fleming, Fisheries, Dr Anna Okello, Livestock Systems, and Dr Robyn Johnston, Water and Climate. They discuss:

Applying excellence in Australian scientific research to address global agricultural and environmental issues
Considering broader sociocultural, gender, policy and economic contexts when working with international communities and governments
Managing biosecurity threats before they reach Australian shores
Empowering communities to improve their own livelihoods and socio-economic prospects
Forging enduring partnerships across government, academia, industry and community

Transcript - a full transcript of the podcast is available here.
Download - to listen offline or share within your organisation, an MP3 file of the podcast is available for download here.