Scientific Task force
Program Governance and Scientific Rigour
The BFF scientific task force operates as an expert advisory panel. The task force consists of scientists and experts representing bee biology, entomology, agriculture, ecology, food/seed industry and other pollinator stakeholder groups.
Mary Cannard
Mary Cannard is a Pest and Disease Agronomist at Olam Edible Nuts, based in Sunraysia. Her role includes pest and disease management over 12,000 hectares of Almonds and she works closely with beekeepers providing hives for pollination on Olam’s orchards. Mary has a degree in Horticultural Science with a first class Honours. She has over 20 years’ experience in many horticultural crops, including 8 years providing technical advice to Murray Valley citrus growers and 8 years in almond production. Mary’s interests include biological control and bee-friendly almond production and Mary is a passionate gardener.
Dr Anna Cutler
Anna has a background in agriculture and entomology specialising in the role of beneficial invertebrates in agricultural systems. She is an integrated pest management (IPM) specialist who has worked with Victorian growers across an array of crop types. Working at IPM Technologies, she has helped facilitate practice change and support growers to implement more sustainable pest management strategies. She has both field and laboratory experience researching the interactions between various management practices and beneficial bugs. Her specific area of expertise is spider ecology.
Kade Denton
Kade Denton is the General Manager, Projects & Leadership at the National Farmers’ Federation. At the NFF Kade leads project management, leadership activities and cross-cutting policy issues, including pollination and industry growth to $100 billion by 2030. Kade has a background in agriculture and entomology, studying the role of insects and pollinators in agricultural systems. In his spare time, Kade is a backyard beekeeper.
Dr. Kevin Foster
Dr. Kevin Foster is a Senior Research Officer at UWA, School of Agriculture and Environment. He brings over 30 years’ experience in Pasture Science including 11 years breeding legumes with high oestrogenic content for their therapeutic and medicinal value for the pharmaceutical industry. Kevin is the co-breeder of two red clovers that have been granted full Plant Breeder Rights protection. His publications span scientific and extension materials.
Kevin’s current research interests include phytoestrogens and other pasture compounds that affect animal health and reproduction and investigating the potential of high-value honey production from selected legume cultivars.
Trevor Monson
Trevor Monson comes from Mildura, Victoria, and has over fifty years of experience as a beekeeper, grower and pollination specialist. He pollinates nuts, avocados, seeds, fruit and vegetables, and through his contracting business, Monson Honey and Pollination, manages hives from QLD, NSW, VIC and SA for the pollination of almonds grown in NW Victoria and NSW (120,000 hives in 2020). Trevor works in partnership with growers to accomplish optimal flight coverage and pollination outcomes, while addressing special needs associated with crops grown in glasshouses, under nets and in tunnels. The number of hives, their positioning, farm access, safety needs, chemical use, staff readiness workshops, farm inductions, the preparation of strong healthy hives, their delivery, placement, assessment, removal and detailed auditing results are crucial to his success.
Dr Romina Rader
Associate Professor Community Ecology (Plant-Animal Interactions), Ecology - Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law; School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England.
Romina’s current projects relate to wild and managed insect pollinators, their efficiency at pollinating horticultural crops and finding ways to improve fruit yield and quality by understanding their life history needs.