About us - AgriTech New Zealand

who we are

Integrating agriculture and technology to strengthen New Zealand’s primary sector

Agritech is providing alternatives to traditional farming methods and revolutionising the sector. New innovations can increase productivity gains to maximise profitability for the primary sector, for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Launched in 2018, AgriTech New Zealand is a purpose driven, membership funded organisation whose members share a passion for the opportunities that agritech can generate.

AgriTech New Zealand connects innovators, investors, regulators, researchers and interested public. It promotes opportunities and challenges raised by agritech. AgriTech New Zealand advances the ecosystem through advocacy, collaboration, innovation, talent and economic growth through international connections and missions. It is governed by an Executive Council.

our charter

Setting out the purpose, objectives and operating structure for AgriTech New Zealand.

introduction

AgriTech New Zealand has been established as a community under NZTech.

Whilst agriculture and the primary sector remain the largest contributors to New Zealand’s economy, the agritech sector has consistently underperformed in terms of its earnings potential, given the scale of the agriculture and primary sector industries. A group of key industry and government stakeholders met regularly through 2017 and 2018 to identify the key challenges that the sector has faced and the potential opportunities to address these.

AgriTech New Zealand is an association of organisations and individuals that have come together to lead a programme of work, taking a key role in growing our country’s capability to maximise the opportunities enabled by agritech and address any challenges.

Agenda

During our founding period focus areas included:

Global trends and where New Zealand fits in.
Roadmap for agritech in New Zealand.
Relevant opportunities and challenges across the diverse agritech and enabling technology sectors.
Enabling New Zealand agritech to connect with global capital and support offshore market access.
Gathering input from AgriTech New Zealand members, government, other groups/communities

CHARTER

AgriTech New Zealand
Charter Download

Executive Council Nominations

There is now an opportunity to put yourself forward or nominate someone else for a role on the AgriTechNZ Executive Council. This year we have vacancies for the following positions:

Corporate – Major (1 position)
Corporate – Other (1 position)
SMEs and Startups (1 position)

Nominees for the above positions must be from an AgriTechNZ member organisation and from the same category they wish to represent.

All nominations must be submitted online here by 5pm, Tuesday 31 May 2022.

Our people

Meet the team

Management Team

Brendan O’Connell AgriTechNZ CEO
Andrea Molloy Communications Manager
Tim Cutfield Project Manager
Vivienne Cooke Project Coordinator
Mili Goswami Event Manager
Kerrie Mayo Events & Digital Coordinator
Sarah Drinkwater Digital Media Specialist

Executive Council

Kenneth Irons Precision Farming Chair
Sophie Rebbeck Deputy Chair
Graeme Muller NZTech CEO
Andrew Hoggard Federated Farmers
Bridgit Hawkins CropX Technologies
Daniel O’Brien AWS
Haydn Read Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
Juliet Ansell Zespri
Kylie Horomia WayBeyond
Maria Jose Alvarez WNT Ventures
Peter Nation New Zealand National Fieldays Society
Simon Yarrow Callaghan Innovation

Agritech New Zealand connects and engages with our global agritech partners

AgriTech’s New Zealand aspiration is to ensure that New Zealand is a global leader in science, technology and innovation, delivering commercial outcomes for the global primary sector. Connecting and engaging with great offshore partners is a critical part of our global outreach strategy.