Agave to sustainable fuel

The Australian climate is changing across many fronts – the weather, economically, in the face of AI and global conflicts. And agriculture across Australia is caught in the cross hairs. Our interest in emerging crops lies in finding more sustainable, tougher and better suited plants that can cope with our growing conditions, make use of huge areas of marginal land and meet the needs of growers to make a living from farming. Today we will introduce you to agave – a hardy succulent with a multitude of end uses including renewable fuels, animal fodder and building materials – not just for the more traditional tequila and mezcal. We will discuss the many features of these plants, what we do and don’t know and outline what we still have to do to get them over the line so that they become a feature of our agricultural landscape in the years to come.