Meleva Thorn | September 13, 2026
https://wamnnews.com.au/amp/uncategorized/listen-the-future-of-farming-ai-boom-climate-threat-family-farm-fears-2/
WAMN News anchor and reporter Meleva Thorn attended the National Farmers’ Federation Summit in Canberra as part of its Emerging Leaders delegation, discussing the future of agriculture.
During a brief conversation with news editor Ivan Leung, she says technology such as AI, drones and autonomous machinery will transform farming, but could also create challenges for family farms and regional communities.
Politics was a major concern, with farmers feeling governments are not adequately representing regional Australia.
She says climate change is the biggest threat to the future of farming and hopes for greater support for climate adaptation, family farms and regional communities.
Ivan Leung
Mellie, you just came back from Canberra from the National Farmers Federation Summit. What did you go there for?
Meleva Thorn
So I was invited to the summit as part of a emerging leaders delegation organized by the NFF. So myself and I think around nine other young people working either in agricultural industries, research industries, myself in journalism, were invited to attend the summit, and they sponsored our flights and accommodations. So it was a real privilege to attend, and we attended the summit, which was a day of like talks and discussions about the future of agriculture and agricultural industries, covering multiple different different areas of agriculture, from wheat and sheep to technology to to what the future of farming will look like as well as as current issues.
Ivan Leung
Okay, so what does the future of farming looks like? Because it matters to you and me because it puts food on the table.
Meleva Thorn
I guess what I took away is that there’ll be a lot more emphasis on technology, so things like drones, AI, satellites, machinery. going to be really where a lot of focus and technology development will be. So that’ll be really shaking up the way that people have traditionally, you know, sat driving the tractor of a header for you know for days, but now they’re going to have drones and AI and all sorts of new technology, self-driving headers, and you’ll be able to operate. You know, you’ll be able to sit on a beach in Bali and operate the header from there. So you know that’s that’s the way that the future is going. And in a way, it it makes it a bit more easy to maintain small family farms. But at the same time, you know, it’s it’s also easier for bigger corporations to come in and and take over. And so, I wonder what it will do to communities. It’s going to be interesting to see.
Ivan Leung
Will we see less and less generational farmers? Because that sounds like what that’s what you could say.
Meleva Thorn
I don’t know. I hope not, because I think.
Ivan Leung
Do you think it’s heading that direction?
Meleva Thorn
I hope not. I think it just really depends upon what what we fund, what we emphasize, what the government supports. Which you know, with a Labor government, when it comes to farming, who knows? But I think hopefully small businesses and family businesses will, you know, family farms will be maintainable. And one of the talks did focus on how downsizing is actually the future for for farming. But you know, it is it is business. We live in a capitalist society, so who knows?
Ivan Leung
You are a young farmer, and your family do look up to you to you know to lead and help. What do you see the future for young people in farming? Because it’s not just say you want to start farm there, but you start it. It’s very elitist to a certain extent, or you’ll be you’ve got to be born into it to a certain extent.
Meleva Thorn
I don’t think so. I don’t think you have to be born into farming. I met I’ve met a lot of people over the years who whose family who haven’t grown up in farming but have gotten involved in the agricultural industry. I think it it just makes you’re more aware of the challenges of living in regional communities, if you’ve grown up in farming, I think, I think it can be hard often for people who’ve lived among all the amenities and opportunities available in the city to perhaps adjust to the challenges in regional communities, but also appreciate the the differences that that are there. But a lot of a lot of people actually do and end up moving and getting involved in agriculture in regional Australia, but but it’s you know it’s not obviously a given.
Ivan Leung
What have you learned from that summit, and also what have you under what sorry again 321? What’s the understanding on the mood of the summit, and what do you think the hot topics were?
Meleva Thorn
I think obviously politics. You know, a lot of people aren’t in that culture industry, aren’t exactly fans of of any of the politicians really, but particularly the minister for agriculture and and the prime minister. He didn’t exactly get the warmest welcome. We’re kind of in and out, but I think that there’s a feel in general that our politicians aren’t really representing or therefore regional Australians, and the politicians that that did attend kind of treated it as an election platform rather than as actually talking to and listening and and addressing the concerns and the and the and the vulnerabilities of regional and agricultural communities and industries. So I think I took that that away, and that was interesting. And also that focus on technology. About
Ivan Leung
What about young people? What sort of future do you think it holds for them and yourself?
Meleva Thorn
Well, I think climate change is going to be the biggest issue as whether we even have a future of farming because the climate is rapidly changing, and that obviously impacts agriculture because climate is so important when when growing crops or when trying to raise animals, and so it does make me worry whether there’ll be an opportunity to to farm in Australia at all.
Ivan Leung
Let me finish with this. Overall, what have you learned? What have you gained? And of course, what sort of hope you have before next summit?
Meleva Thorn
The summit next summit is in two years, so next year they have ag exchange, which is a little bit more, I’m assuming informal, but I’m hoping that we’ll see greater support for adapting and preventing climate change. But is that support going into agricultural industries as well as greater support for those those family businesses and maintaining the communities of regional Australia?
Ivan Leung
Malevathorn, thank you very much for being with us. I look forward to joining at the news desk tonight, and it’ll be awesome to hear more from you about this and your opinion coming very soon.
Meleva Thorn
Thanks.