5-8th OCTOBER 2021 –  LONGREACH, QUEENSLAND

Plans and organisation for the NRM in the Rangelands Conference – shaping our future, 2021 are well advanced. The conference is being hosted jointly by Desert Channels Queensland and the Australian Rangeland Society and is being held at the Civic Centre in Longreach from 5-8 October. Keynote speakers include Ross Garnaut, Dalene Wray, Josh Gorringe and Tony Hill.

There are more than 100 submissions to present papers and posters covering themes of applied technologies, environment and conservation, traditional knowledge, community initiatives, NRM and rangeland health, production systems, and on-ground management. The conference program includes keynote and 15 minute presentations, lightning talks, panel discussions and poster sessions that will showcase innovative projects being delivered in Australia’s rangelands.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to be part of the conversation, register today at the conference website: https://desertchannels.com.au/conference-2021/?v=13b249c5dfa9.

We are pleased to announce that Dalene Wray, the Managing Director of one of Australia’s most successful organic beef exporters, will be a Keynote Speaker at the Longreach Conference.

Dalene will discuss why being clean, green and organic is not enough. She will share with conference-goers how OBE Beef is future-proofing itself from unpredictable market access through diversity and by being entirely customer-focused.

“Graziers are enjoying great profits because we have enviable export market access to important beef consuming nations around the world. But what happens if those markets close overnight? It has happened and could happen again. We would need to pivot very quickly. Graziers need to ensure that they have a mix of tools in their virtual toolbox so they can meet the requirements of discerning customers of the future.”

OBE Beef is a farmer-owned business with a head office in Brisbane which exports organic beef to the Middle East, North America and Asia as well as the domestic market. Whilst their markets are many and varied, so are their customers. “We don’t use alcohol in any of our advertising in consideration of the cultural preferences of many of our customers. Whilst our North American customers are most interested in the grass-fed nature of our beef & how we manage animal welfare, our Japanese customers care for the organic status of our product,” she said.

Dalene will share with conference attendees how they use their Rangelands location, the Pure Heart of Australia to market their meat and how they are securing a social licence to keep operating 20 to 30 years into the future by focusing on and investing in behavioural science, to deliver on best animal welfare practices. She will also explain how their Reconciliation Action Plan, first developed in 2017, was the key to saving a million-dollar US account. “It matters to us that OBE proudly embraces Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as integral to our national identity and many times, it matters to our customers too,” she explained.

To purchase your conference tickets to hear this inspiring keynote speaker and others go to dcq.com.au