The UNE team from left to right: Max Laurie, Chrissie Stanford,Casey Onus, Sarah Wall and Matt Winkler. Rebecca Clapperton was absent on the day.

UNE Business School students will be heading to the United States on 10 June to participate in the annual IFAMA (International Food and Agribusiness Association) student case study competition. The theme of the conference continues the three-year initiative, Become the Solution: Food Security 2050, that was introduces in 2015 – which was also the first year UNE students participated in the competition. UNE is currently also the only Australian university to participate in this competition.

The case competition, which begins on 18 June, can feature up to 36 teams and will involve an unknown case study that engages with world food and agribusiness. The team will have four hours to prepare answers to questions on a range of technical, financial and strategic aspects of the case.

The UNE team will also undertake a seven-day study tour in Wyoming and Colorado before heading south west to Miami to participate in the competition.

Student biographies:

• Rebecca Clapperton grew up on her family’s cattle property in Queensland. She is a fourth year Bachelor of Agriculture and Business student and recently completed an exchange program with the University of Wyoming in the USA. Her interests lie in supply chain efficiency and producer engagement and she hopes to pursue a career in the beef industry, . She is passionate about rural communities and ensuring efficient, profitable and sustainable beef operations that will continue to strengthen and remain an integral part of Australian agriculture.
• Christina Stannard is studying a Bachelor of Agribusiness majoring in Finance. She is hoping to extend her career into rural finance particularly in remote areas. She has a wealth of experience in the Agriculture industry through involvement in her family’s cattle and cropping property outside of Uralla. She has also worked in four states in fields ranging from livestock, dryland cropping, sugar cane and agriculture machinery. Outside of her studies she works on her family property and has been an active member of the NSW Rural Fire Service for 17 years.
• Matthew Winkel is from a cattle property near Dorrigo NSW and is in his third year of a Bachelor of Agriculture/Bachelor of Business. Matt has a passion for agriculture and has been employed in most agricultural fields all over Australia. He is interested in pursuing a career in Agronomy and hopes that the IFAMA study tour will be an opportunity to experience international agriculture and utilise the skills and knowledge gained from studying in a practical manner. Outside of uni matt races motorbikes and likes to travel.
• Sarah Wall comes from a sheep and cattle grazing property in the Wean district near Boggabri NSW and is currently in her third year of a Bachelor Agriculture/Bachelor Business. Sarah is involved with the UNE Farming Futures Committee and has a specific interest in sheep and wool farm management. Through her involvement with the IFAMA team Sarah hopes to broaden her understanding of current global issues within the agribusiness sector and also develop a strong network with others passionate about the future of Agriculture.
• Casey Onus is currently studying the Master of Business Administration, having previously studied the Bachelor of Agriculture at UNE. Casey works full time as an Agronomist with Landmark in Tamworth and has a keen interest in the practical implementation of precision agriculture technologies. By attending IFAMA Casey hopes to gain a global prospective of the challenges facing agricultural production both in Australia and internationally.