In anticipation of the upcoming Cool Farm Annual Event, we had the opportunity to hear from Robyn Cooper, Crops Manager, from SAI Platform to delve into their motivations, aspirations, and interpretations of this year’s theme, “Growing a Thriving World.” Here’s what Robyn had to say:
What motivated SAI Platform to attend and at this year’s event?
SAI Platform’s partnership with Cool Farm is a key mechanism through which we aim to maximise the value we provide to our members going forward. The event itself is therefore a great space to engage closely with the Cool Farm Alliance and all participants. The Cool Farm event has a special, community feel in which key trusted actors come together to listen, share, and jointly problem solve, providing inspiration, new ideas, and new connections to pursue post the event.
Could you share some insights into what you hope to gain or learn from this year’s annual meeting?
A big focus for the event for me will be listening and understanding the perspectives and needs of those attending to scale regenerative agriculture, from farmers and processors to the tool providers and implementation partners that they are working with. SAI Platform is keen to collaborate with the full range of actors working towards this, and the event is set up to really extract these different ideas, perspectives and needs!
I hope to come away having had my own assumptions and ideas challenged and shaped further, with key takeaways on how we can continue to improve our Regenerating Together programme to catalyse action towards a more regenerative food system.
How do you interpret the theme “Growing a Thriving World” in the context of your work?
How we define ‘thriving’ is highly specific to individuals, so for me, it is the essence of enabling a system in which all have the agency and resource to create the version ‘thriving’ that they envisage. In the context of SAI Platform and our food system, that means enabling farmers and other actors along the value chain to realise the ‘thriving’ livelihoods that they aspire to, while enhancing and regenerating the world around them.
We look forward to seeing SAI Platform and the Cool Farm Community at the Cool Farm Annual Event 2024!
