Chatting all things Plants and Tech with Guy Coleman

Geneticists, biologists and evolutionists are regular company for Guy Coleman. 

He has moved around the globe learning all he can about plants, particularly from the research lens. It’s landed Guy in Denmark at the University of Copenhagen where he currently resides.

He has been there for the last 12 months as part of the Weed Ecology and Evolution Group (‘WEE’ for short). It’s all about how plants evolve to adapt to different things.

We’re told the Danish pastries are quite nice! But he’s not just in it for the food, Guy’s global perspective has emphasised to him just how great Aussie ag is.

Guy is returning home to Perth, Western Australia for evokeAG. 2024!

“Australian Agriculture has my heart.”

“Going overseas, it makes you realise just how high quality Australian farmers are.

A lot of people admire how well Australians do considering how little they have.”

Photograph credit: Rasmus Ronne Photography

Born and raised in Perth, Guy had a taste of country life through various family connections. Weekends and school holidays were spent at his Fathers property in Esperance, with broad acre cropping and bees.

However, Guy didn’t really consider Agriculture as a future, despite a love for tractors and farming magazines! Medicine was on the cards for him so he went into an Anatomy and Biology degree, hoping for a spot in a medical degree. 

On the side, Guy was studying Agricultural Science. Ultimately, he recognised the impact he could have in community, food, environment and society and changed career direction to focus on agriculture and he hasn’t looked back! 

Guy will be making the long trip back from Denmark to his roots in Perth for the evokeAG. conference in February 2024, Asia Pacific's premier agrifood tech event.

Photograph credit: Rasmus Ronne Photography

So who is Guy? What drives him? And what is his project that he is bringing to evokeAG. in 2024 as part of the Future Young Leaders Program? Let’s get to know him!

Q and A:

HOA: What made you apply to be an evokeAG. Future Young Leader?

Guy: I’ve always liked the evokeAG. Conference. I went to the first two iterations of it and it was really fantastic. To see it go from just an idea to how well executed it was, and also all the incredible presentations from the Future Young Leaders at the time.

So I was inspired to apply [for the Future Young Leaders Program] and I wasn’t successful then.

Of course it’s disappointing when you don’t get it.

Looking back at the application, it was probably a good thing. I thought I’d have another crack for 2024.

This time around I had a clear vision, instead of just a cool idea. And I was able to articulate it better.

And I guess that’s the benefit of a few years working.

HOA: What is your project about?

Guy: I’d really like to change the way we talk about tech development in Australia.

At the moment it’s very IP (Intellectual Property) focused and it can be at the expense of research progress.

If you have great ideas, they should be out in the open and people should be building and iterating on them.

So I think ‘open source technology’, which is my project, or my vision, I’d like to see that.

My specific project is about weed locators… So an open source weed control where people can build their own weed detection device.

Photograph credit: Rasmus Ronne Photography

HOA: What has surprised you about the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders Program?

Guy: The feedback that everyone gives each other has been really helpful. And it’s something that I potentially didn’t even really think about at the start. 

The way they comment on what you do and support your improvement has been quite an unexpectedly impactful part of the program so far.

HOA: What are you hoping to achieve from the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders Program?

Guy: To change the way people approach these sort of projects.

I’d love to see in the long term a substantial change in perspective to open-source development.

It’s been so successful in broader tech industries… Australian agriculture is really missing out at the moment if we don’t adopt this approach.

I want to develop ‘open ecosystems’ for data and change how companies share their information. It will improve the way we develop and how fast it happens.

I’ll always be passionate about advocating for open-source approach to research.

Photograph credit: Rasmus Ronne Photography

Guy was selected for the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders Program, “designed to build the capacity of emerging leaders from across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific while providing a platform to share their key messages, innovations, research, stories, and passions for Australian rural industries and the value chain, to deliver, develop, adopt and export agrifood innovation to the world.”

Future Young Leaders get to showcase their ideas on stage at the conference. But not before they develop and refine their idea through an intense mentoring program and workshopping in the lead up to the event.

We’re excited to be heading to evokeAG. in Perth on February 20-21, 2024. We’ll be spending more time with the Future Young Leaders so keep your eyes, and ears peeled for more.

Sponsor shoutout:

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG.