New partnership to boost agricultural education for high school students
A new partnership between the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) and agribusiness Nutrien Ag Solutions is set to arm a new generation of students with the knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices to drive the industry forward.
PIEFA CEO Luciano Mesiti, said the collaboration will see the development of a suite of educational materials and resources for secondary aged students, focused on sustainable agriculture.
“We want to empower students with a greater understanding of how the modern primary industries operate, breaking down misconceptions and helping young Australians understand what sustainable agriculture really looks like,” said Mr Mesiti.
Mr Mesiti said STEM subjects have a transformative and essential role to play in sustainable agriculture.
“We all have a role to play in protecting and encouraging sustainable practices, but the food and fibre sector is not often associated with science and technology education. These new resources will break that perception and explore key sustainable agriculture concepts, including food production, environmental resilience, climate adaptation, community resilience, sustainable farming systems and growing more with less,” said Mr Mesiti.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Head of Sustainability, Rebecca Underwood, hopes the new resources will also promote the expanded career opportunities in agriculture.
“As the agriculture sector continues to transform with technological and research advancements, the demand for new skills in the workforce is also increasing. A career in agriculture extends beyond the farmgate, we need chemists, scientists, data analysts, technicians and more,” said Mrs Underwood.
“Unfortunately, there is still a significant gap in students’ understanding and perception of agricultural sustainability. This is despite the agriculture industry in Australia employing more than 250,000 people, stewarding around 80% of our land area and inching closer to being worth $100 billion a year to the country.”
“Bridging the gap is a shared responsibility between industry and educators, so Nutrien Ag Solutions is really pleased to adopt this proactive approach with PIEFA to better prepare students with the knowledge to continue driving sustainable agriculture forward,” said Mrs Underwood.
The set of curriculum-aligned educational resources for Australian students from years seven to twelve will be available for teachers and educators to access for free in 2025, via PIEFA’S Primezone website.
Pictured: Nutrien Ag Solutions Head of Sustainability Rebecca Underwood and PIEFA CEO Luciano Mesiti