Binyin Di, known as Patrick or Paddy to his mates, is an agricultural specialist with a unique story through Australian Agriculture. Originally from China, he grew up in rural areas, moving to Queensland at 18 to pursue his passion for agriculture at the University of Queensland, Gatton campus.
“My grandparents used to operate a mandarin orchard, adjacent to a small garden growing Chinese vegetables, and my background has always been around plant and plant industries. I’ve always wanted to improve the livelihoods of farmers.”
Upon graduating in 2020, Binyin embraced the life of an "agricultural nomad," working across various roles and locations throughout Australia. His career spans research and extension, providing technical advice to producers, representing the industry and promoting technology adoption in the agricultural sector.
This journey has allowed Binyin to travel to every state and territory in Australia. This passion is further fuelled by Binyin's role as a representative for the RAID network, a volunteer organisation that connects young researchers for international agriculture development. Binyin was also recently instated as the inaugural Vice Chair for AG Institute QLD & NT Division.
Binyin learned about the applications for the Working Group for the upcoming Innovation Generation (IG) conference through LinkedIn. Upon being accepted to the committee, he realised he knew another committee member personally.
“I know Dave – we went to school together. I was surprised to see someone I went to uni with on the committee as well, but it was great to see. Everyone has a unique perspective. Everyone has talents and specialties and it’s good to build a program off these different talents.”
Excited about the opportunity to connect with other young professionals in the field, and despite never having been himself, Binyin sees IG as a valuable platform for regional and national networking.
“I'm super excited to head to IG. There are few opportunities for young people on the same page to meet. It’s great for young people to come together across the regions and Australia, to meet each other and network."
Having attended conferences like Hort Connections, Northern Australia Food Futures and scientific symposiums in the past, Binyin is particularly interested in the focus on farmer succession planning at IG.
“I’m not a farmer, but I’m very interested in hearing the farmer perspective on how they are tackling this issue. There's a growing trend that fewer young people choose to study agriculture, and attracting and retaining talented young people in the agricultural workforce in regional Australia is becoming increasingly a critical challenge for the whole industry to address," he said.
"In the meantime, the interest in farming coming from rural areas versus urban areas is very different in focus - forming a dichotomous view in terms of environment and animal welfare, and I’m interested in how government policy will drive the farming community into a different direction, and what the farming community’s response will be.”
For anyone considering applying for the Working Group next year, Binyin has a clear message: "The future is yours, and it belongs to a generation of innovative and wise leaders! Seize any opportunities, seek new ideas, and grow together with others."
Innovation Generation, the conference for young people in ag aged 18-35, is on for the 17th year on the Gold Coast, 23-25 July. Tailored to young growers, young professionals and students, Innovation Generation is filled with future-focused activities to empower future ag leaders to tackle national industry opportunities and challenges.
A market-leading professional development experience that is home to new, innovative ideas and technology. If you'd like to meet Binyin, look for him at #IG24.
Visit Innovation Generation here: https://www.innovationgeneration.com.au/
