The Archibull Prize program uses art and multimedia as a vehicle to inspire young people to investigate and reflect on global sustainability issues through the lens of agriculture and act at a local level.
This program aims to help students be aware of the impact of their choices, empowered to make informed decisions and inspired to act to create the future they want to see.
Our world today is full of increasingly complex global issues like rising inequality, climate change, sustainability of resources and a rapidly changing economy, just to name a few.
If we are to reverse the damage that has been done, and ensure a sustainable future is secured for future generations, we need to act now.
At present, Australia is facing one of the highest species extinction rates in the world, as well as experiencing increased pressures on biodiversity and natural resources due to land clearing, development, climate change and land-use pressures, In September 2015, World Leaders committed to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
The 17 goals to achieve sustainability on a global scale by 2030 aim to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and to fix climate change.
We all have a role to play in helping Australia reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal targets.
By participating in The Archibull Prize students will look at the Global Goals through the lens of agriculture and work with farmers to help their local community meet Australia’s commitment to the Global Goals.
The Archibull Prize program engages school students in agricultural and sustainability awareness, understanding and action through art, design, creativity, teamwork and project development by:
The Archibull Prize program provides the opportunity for students to be part of a team that welcomes their ideas and solutions and empowers them to act on these challenges at a local level as individuals, as a community and as the future decision makers for the planet.
Globally, it has been estimated that young people are 1.6 times more likely than older adults to become entrepreneurs, have higher literacy rates, and are more networked than the wider global population.
To realise these Global Goals there is overwhelming encouragement to engage communities and youth around the world to act on one or more of these Global Goals in whatever capacity they can. The United Nations is encouraging people and organisations already working towards these Global Goals to work with youth and community and empower them to act.
Our work with young people has shown them to be ambitious, creative, have a strong social conscience and capable of solving tomorrow’s problems today.
The program provides an innovative vehicle to nurture and support the next generation of young people who want the tools to rethink the world and create a more sustainable future.
Feeding and clothing the world is a shared responsibility, right across the globe.
While Australia’s farmers are among the world’s best at growing quality food and fibre for our nation and many more around the globe, they cannot do it alone.
Every minute the world’s population grows, adding another 158 mouths to feed. Over the next four decades, more food will need to be produced than has been during the last 10,000 years combined.
Highlighting the challenges and opportunities for farmers everywhere in the future.
But the issue is more complex than economies of scale.
The last 100 years has seen Australia become increasingly urbanised. An estimated 89 percent of Australians now live in urban areas, with no close links to rural communities and little knowledge about the production of their food and fibre. It’s equally troubling that farmers are also gradually losing touch with urban communities through their reduced interaction with modern supply chains.
The diversity and complexity of the modern Australian economy now means greater competition for resources, including land, water and people, among all sectors. A greater awareness of the role agriculture plays in supporting our cities will contribute to informed decision making around resource allocation.
It’s clear that to move forward and meet the escalating food and fibre needs of our cities, as well as satisfy the community's expectations about environmental sustainability and animal care; both rural and urban communities must have a greater understanding of one another. This can only happen when a common ground for communication and knowledge-sharing is found. Farmers know they need to reconnect with their consumers, but modern supply chains mean farmers have never been so isolated from their end-consumer.
Likewise, how do our urban communities learn about rural Australia?
An innovative and fun in-school program, the Archibull Prize traverses the boundaries of communication between rural providers and city consumers. Put simply, the program is an agricultural and environmental themed art competition for secondary school student groups.
But the Archibull’s aims are much greater than this.
The Archibull Prize brings the farm into the classroom.
It provides students with opportunities to meet young farmers and to gain knowledge and skills about the production of the food they eat, fibres they use and the environment they live in.
It creates an opportunity for students to work together to create an amazing artwork that tells the story of farming as they understand it.
It builds relationships between schools, industry, business, and the community as they progress through the Archibull Prize’s different elements.
It raises awareness of exciting career pathways.
It promotes change and fosters two-way conversations.
And it builds lifelong relationships between consumers and their farmers.
Since the turn of the century, the amount of viable agricultural land has been decreasing by about 1 percent every year. This means the majority of the additional food needed by 2050 will come from being able to grow more food on less land. The new model of agriculture will require a workforce with skills sets that extend well beyond traditional agricultural skills. In the research, service and support sectors most of these skills will be delivered by staff without traditional farming background as opportunities and technologies used within agriculture attract new entrants and businesses. Australia will require a pipeline of graduates with capabilities in architecting, designing and analysing data. There will be growth in specialist IT technology and businesses that service these technologies.
The Young Farming Champions (YFCs) understand the challenges farmers face. They are agriculture’s freshest advocates, who believe in being proactive in finding solutions.
They are paired with students participating in The Archibull Prize. These passionate and enthusiastic young agriculturalists and are the real life link between farm and classroom. They love what they do and they can’t wait to start conversations with consumers.
The Archibull Prize integrates a range of industry experiences, real-world projects and self-initiated proposals – equipping students to address the complex challenges and untapped opportunities of our times.
By focusing in teams on high-level conceptual thinking and problem-solving practices, students learn to work across and between disciplines, discovering rare skills and mind-sets.
During the process students becoming lifelong innovators, entrepreneurs, creative practitioners and change-makers.
You and I are both consumers, playing a vital role in the paddock to plate and field to fabric cycle. Consumers are the driving force behind how and why food is produced. This means we also have responsibilities.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, our current global footprint exceeds the world’s capacity to regenerate by 50 percent. If we continue consuming as we do today, we will need the equivalent of two planet Earths by the mid-2030s.
It’s even more disturbing to hear Australia has one of the world's largest ecological footprints per capita. More than 50 percent of Australia's footprint is due to greenhouse gas emissions, with the average household emitting around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. If all countries consumed the amount of resources that Australian's do, it would take three Earths to support their lifestyle.
So another very important question is: How do we reduce waste and produce more food, with less water, chemicals and fertiliser?
The message is clear and urgent.
We need to develop relationships along every step of our supply chain, enabling farmers and consumers to make informed decisions about food and fibre choices, and farm production systems. We must recognise that by becoming more informed, one by one, we can all make a difference.
Fresh ideas and innovative solutions are needed to start building this partnership between farmers and consumers for a sustainable future, and The Archibull Prize is the first simple step.
Productivity growth combined with new land sector markets could lift our agrifood exports and deliver regional economic benefits.
Future agricultural prices and land sector incomes are projected to trend upwards. Australia’s most productive agricultural land is likely to continue to be used for productive agricultural use.
With productivity improvements in line with long-term trends, Australian agricultural output volumes are projected to rise by at least 50% by 2050 – even in scenarios where bioenergy and plantings for carbon sequestration increase.
New markets and policy settings that enable carbon farming, especially in currently less productive areas, would allow many rural landowners to increase and diversify their incomes.