An incredible honour to be named the 2026 Women in Innovation Sustainability Award winner, proudly sponsored by BHP.
I'm incredibly grateful for this recognition, but what excites me most is the opportunity it creates to elevate a conversation I'm deeply passionate about.
Our farmers deserve to make money from their entire crop. Not just the produce that meets someone else's definition of perfect.
From premium produce through to second-grade and surplus, it ALL has value.
For too long, we've accepted that produce falling outside retail specifications is somehow worth less, or worse, worth nothing.
I believe we need to change that thinking.
At Woodlane Pantry, we're demonstrating what's possible when we look beyond traditional markets and work alongside farmers and producers to create new opportunities.
Whether it's mushrooms, quandongs, grapes, apples or vegetables, we're exploring how processing, preservation and product innovation can turn overlooked produce into commercially valuable products.
And importantly, we're helping producers explore opportunities to value-add under their own brands, creating new income streams, building resilience and retaining more value from what they grow.
This isn't simply about rescuing food. It's about ensuring farmers are paid for the food they produce.
That's why recognition through the Women in Innovation Awards matters so much. It gives visibility and credibility to ideas that challenge the status quo, creates conversations and opens doors to collaborations that might otherwise never happen.
A sincere thank you to BHP for sponsoring the Sustainability Award and recognising the importance of innovation in creating a more sustainable future.
Congratulations to my fellow finalists Bridie Armour of Pets for Planet and Ivana Dutton of Workspace Commercial Furniture. Both are demonstrating how innovative thinking can transform environmental challenges into valuable opportunities.
And thank you to Women in Innovation SA for championing women who are prepared to challenge traditional thinking and find better ways forward.
I'm enormously proud of what we've achieved at Woodlane Pantry, but I'm even more excited about what comes next.
Imagine an Australian food system where every farmer has access to the knowledge, technology and markets to earn a return from their entire harvest.
Where premium produce finds its premium market, second-grade produce finds its own paying market, and surplus becomes an opportunity for innovation rather than a financial loss.
That's the future I want to help build.
Because good food doesn't lose its value just because it doesn't look perfect. 💚
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