Anika Molesworth fell in love with her family’s farm, a sheep station near Broken Hill, at an early age. Forming a bond with the land – its open skies and the kangaroos in the paddocks, young Anika developed a deep sense of belonging. She learnt to appreciate the food she ate too, now that it came from the farm and not the supermarket.
When the decade-long Millennium drought hit, Anika’s heart ached to see her beloved home ravaged by dust storms and heatwaves. It was also when she began to realise the correlation between the land, the climate and the food on our plates. As she began to learn more about the causes of – and the solutions to – the extreme weather that was devastating her and other farmer’s homes, Anika became determined to speak out.
After consulting farmers, scientists, chefs and nutritionists all around the world, Anika began to realise that there was a way forward that could be both practical and sustainable – if only we could build up the courage to take it.
Dr Anika Molesworth is a recognised thought-leader of agro-ecological systems resilience and international farming development. With a passion for rural communities and healthy ecosystems, she is committed to help create sustainable and vibrant rural landscapes now and for the future.
She is a Founding Director of Farmers for Climate Action – a national network of over 5,000 Australian farmers undertaking climate change action. In 2017, she presented at TEDxYouthSydney the talk “Farmers are key to a better future.” She is also the author of the book, Our Sunburnt Country. Awards include 2015 Young Farmer of the Year, and 2017 Young Australian of the Year NSW Finalist.
You can follow Anika’s work via:
www.AnikaMolesworth.com / @AnikaMolesworth
To purchase Our Sunburnt Country visit here.
