Ms Simson, who became the first female leader in the NFF’s 40-year history when she was elected president of the organisation in 2016, was announced as recipient of this year’s award at the Rabobank Farm2Fork summit in Sydney on March 23.
Australian and New Zealand Rabobank regional manager Peter Knoblanche said Ms Simson’s work leading the NFF was “making one of the most fundamentally important contributions to leadership in the food and agribusiness sector”.
“Through her leadership of the National Farmers’ Federation, Fiona has played, and continues to play, an instrumental role in the future growth and prosperity of Australia’s agricultural sector,” Mr Knoblanche said.
“She is passionate about the power of a unified voice for agriculture and the role agriculture advocacy plays in a strong and vibrant future for regional Australia.
“Fiona is a powerful advocate and passionate rural and regional leader who has been a trail blazer in driving a number of key major initiatives for the sector and for NFF.
“These include the National Agricultural Leadership Program, the Young Farmers Council, the Australia-China Agricultural Youth Program and the Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program.”
He said Ms Simson was the driving force behind NFF’s Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program — which focuses on the development and engagement of the talented women in agricultural and agribusiness industries.
Boys to the Bush leads the way
Mr Knoblanche said the Albury-based Boys to the Bush program was a fitting inaugural Community Leadership Award recipient.
Boys to the Bush is a grassroots, not-for-profit program, offering preventive interventions for regional NSW and north-east Victorian males aged between nine and 22.
Mr Knoblanche said the initiative had been established by three NSW-based high school teachers who had “watched too many boys from disadvantaged backgrounds slipping through society’s cracks”.
The program works closely with businesses and grower groups to organise group and individual ‘MENtor’ youth visits, working bees and guided work experience opportunities to assist young men join the workforce and contribute to their local economy.
The organisation will use its $25,000 grant to buy a barbecue trailer, allowing them to participate in more rural and regional community events and invest in a new initiative — a bush camp for deaf or hearing-impaired youth.
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