· PropaGATE brings the world’s best agtech solutions to WA, addressing the critical challenges that growers and agri-businesses face today

· Its inaugural program will look at the treatment of wastewater in agriculture, aiming to increase sustainable reuse and prevent nutrient run-off

· Innovators with solutions for wastewater treatment are called upon to apply to PropaGATE now and participate in its unique ‘landing pad’ program.

PropaGATE takes a challenge-led approach to innovation, collaborating with farmers and agricultural businesses across WA to identify their most pressing issues. For each selected challenge, Beanstalk will scout, select and attract innovative technology from across the world to WA. Growers play a critical role in this process from challenge identification to solution assessment and trialling, through adoption in their businesses.

The Program is funded by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Drought Hub) through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA) as part of its Enterprise Support Program. PropaGATE’s inaugural challenge focuses on the Peel Region.

Beanstalk Principal Jolien Paalman said “In this program, Beanstalk will actively scout for innovators from across the world and facilitate their entry into Western Australia. By leveraging the extensive networks of the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), the SW WA Drought Hub and FIPWA, we can offer innovators access to potential customers and partners to trial their technology.”

GGA CEO Rikki Foss described PropaGATE as a game-changer for WA’s agricultural sector: “Programs like this give WA farmers the chance to directly shape and adopt innovative solutions that address real-world challenges on their farms. It’s an opportunity to bring together local knowledge and global technologies to create lasting benefits for our growers and rural communities.”

Dr Jo Wisdom, Acting Director of the SW WA Drought Hub, which is led by GGA, stressed the program’s role in equipping farmers for the future: “Western Australian growers are at the forefront of managing a drying, warming climate. PropaGATE not only provides them with access to advanced agtech solutions but also ensures those solutions are tailored to the challenges unique to our region. This project is about future-proofing our agricultural sector with practical, scalable innovations.”

“PropaGATE will establish a dedicated landing pad at the Innovation Centre at FIPWA, providing farmers and growers from the Peel region and beyond with access to cutting-edge agtech solutions. This challenge-driven, innovative approach aims to position Western Australia’s agrifood sector as a leader in the rapid adoption of global agtech while fostering the development of scalable, localised solutions tailored to the State’s unique needs,” said Dr. Chris Vas, General Manager of FIPWA.