How can ag advocacy shift from fragmented to future-fit? With Katie McRobert and Tyson Cattle

In an increasingly noisy world, how can ag speak with a unified, consistent voice?

The changing dynamics of agricultural advocacy in Australia has caught our attention, and we're keen to explore whether industry representation is still 'fit for purpose' in a rapidly shifting political and social landscape.

With around 270 farm advocacy bodies in Australia with a combined annual spend of $400-600 million, there's no shortage of voices sticking up for ag.  But how effective are they in delivering genuine policy solutions to Government?

To open up this conversation, Oli is joined by Katie McRobert, Executive Director at the Australian Farm Institute, and Tyson Cattle, a rural journalist-turned-Nuffield Scholar, currently exploring how ag advocacy is done around the world and what Australia could be doing better.

Takeaways

• Advocacy in agriculture is fragmented and there's a disconnect between what's being said and what's being heard
• Effective advocacy requires a clear purpose, two-way conversations and cultivating long-term relationships to drive policy change
• Finding common ground with decision-makers is essential for achieving policy outcomes
• Respect and credibility is often overlooked in advocacy structures
• Farmers are good as telling stories, but ag needs to get better at sharing stories
• Current advocacy structures in Australia are often conservative and 'locked in' to a traditional structure, but new approaches such as social media influencers are having an impact 
• Leadership in advocacy often requires taking unpopular stances

Links

• Learn more about Tyson's Nuffield topic, and LinkedIn
• Katie McRobert LinkedIn

You can hear more episodes of Humans of Agriculture here.

If you enjoyed this episode, share with a friend and let us know your thoughts at [e-mail].  
Don't forget to rate, subscribe, and leave a review!

Rabobank Grad Program: If you're on the lookout for a graduate role, head over to Rabobank.com.au to apply for their 2026 Graduate program before the 18th of August!