TEKWOMEN Young Female Leaders Profile Series
- Anna Phillips
- Sep 24
- 6 min read
Laura Carniel: From Farm Roots to Global Voices
Laura Carniel grew up in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley, in a world framed by mountains and sustained by vegetables pulled straight from the soil. Her childhood was shaped by the rhythms of farm life and by a family who believed in the power of community, helping to establish one of the valley’s first Farmers’ markets. From an early age, food was not just nourishment, it was connection, responsibility and resilience. Her journey carried her from that small valley school to a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) at the University of Queensland, where she developed a passion for the connection between soil, plant and human health. An AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship and Global Voices’ policy fellowship introduced her to a wider network of young leaders and showed her that agriculture could be a calling as much as a career. Today, Laura’s work bridges science, advocacy and community. She is part of the team establishing Australia’s first World Food Forum Youth Chapter, and she has stepped into a leadership role as an ambassador and co-creator of the Farmers2Founders TEKWOMEN Agri-Rise program, strengthening networks of women across agri-food.
It was from our homes in Queensland, Laura in Brisbane and myself in the Bay Islands, that we sat down screen to screen to talk about her journey and her vision for the future of food.
Anna: Laura, can you tell me more about your journey from the Lockyer Valley to now?
Laura: I grew up on a multi-generational vegetable farm, surrounded by a rich local agri-food system. My family helped set up one of our local Farmers’ markets, so we’d ride our bikes to the hall every month to sell fresh produce. That shaped how I see food, not just as sustenance but as storytelling and community.
Later, I studied a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) majoring in Biomedical Science. I am passionate about agriculture and its ability to produce nutritious, enriching foods for better human health. Along the way, I have since tutored at the university and was selected as an AgriFutures’ Horizon Scholar (2022-2023). This opportunity enabled me to work with industry-leading professionals, including farmers, innovators and entrepreneurs, to address global agri-food system challenges, which opened my eyes to agriculture as a career path. In 2024, being selected as an Australian Global Voices’ Policy Fellow (2024), allowed me to explore how we can value farmers not only for yield but for the nutritional richness of their produce.
Anna: Representing Australia at the World Food Forum must have been incredible. What was that experience like?
Laura: Life-changing. I was one of four delegates at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO), World Food Forum (WFF) in Rome. The World Food Forum is still young. It began in 2021 as a platform to engage youth in shaping sustainable agri-food systems from across the globe. I presented on policy proposals for valuing farmers for their nutritional output. The week was an incredible opportunity to meet and connect with a diverse range of international leaders - from inspirational youth, academics, family farmers, media, government, scientists, entrepreneurs, diplomats, policy makers… and everyone in between. I gained a deeper understanding of the complexity of global agrifood systems and was able to advocate for the positive impact and action that farmers can deliver towards many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Personally, the opportunity was also incredibly powerful. My grandfather was Italian, he left at sixteen, farmed in Australia for over sixty years, and never returned. Standing in Italy, contributing to conversations about food systems, felt as though I was completing a circle he began.
Anna: And now you’re helping to build the Australian Youth Chapter. What does that involve?
Laura: When I returned from Rome, the team and I were keen to bring together a passionate group of young Australians. Together, we have founded and led the first WFF Australian Youth Chapter.
We successfully launched last week in Melbourne with a sold-out evening of energising conversations, an inspiring panel sharing international food system insights and change-making, a unique networking opportunity with a diverse, international crowd, and a delicious zero-waste dinner and drinks curated by OzHarvest.
This week, we’ll host a farm tour in the Lockyer Valley to bring people onto the land to see, taste and connect. It is an opportunity you do not want to miss!
Anna: You’ve also joined the Farmers2Founders TEKWOMEN Agri-Rise program. What made you want to be part of it?
Laura: I’ve learned to put my hand up, even if I don’t feel the most qualified. That’s how opportunities come. I connected with the Farmers2Founders team earlier this year and when Agri-Rise came up, I knew it was the right space for me. The support, mentorship and networks are invaluable. It feels like being part of a community that’s moving in the same direction.
Anna: You’ve spoken before about your family’s own farming journey. Can you tell me more about that?
Laura: The farm uses what's become commonly known as regenerative farming practices with strong environmental stewardship, with a focus on nutrition. It makes the produce healthier, more nutritionally dense for families, but there are no labels to show it. No way to say, “we spent time, attention and care to make this better for you and your kids.” Farmers don’t get paid extra for that kind of effort. That’s why I’m passionate about shifting the system to reward nutrition.
Anna: You often talk about community. What role has it played in your journey?
Laura: Growing up, community was everything, from Farmers’ markets to neighbours helping during floods. My cousin has been a mentor, reminding me that all the skills I’m gathering, even when they feel unrelated, will eventually align. Hiking with her through the mountains where we grew up, I realised that community isn’t just people. It’s also the land itself holding you.
I believe future food systems need to be rooted in community. It’s not only about production. It’s about connection; knowing where our food comes from, valuing and celebrating the people who grow it, and sharing it in ways that nourish everyone, including the environment.
Anna: What advice would you give to other young people, especially women, curious about this sector?
Laura: Stay curious. Agriculture affects every single person. We all eat three times a day, so there’s room for every perspective. Don’t wait until you feel fully qualified. Put your hand up. Share your voice. Opportunities often come when you’re willing to step forward, even if you’re not sure you’re ready.
Also please reach out and join the WFF Youth Chapter to connect with other passionate young leaders in agri-food. We will be opening up general membership in early October!
Anna: What do you hope the Australian Youth Chapter of the World Food Forum will achieve?
Laura: We want to create a space where young people feel empowered to shape food systems. Our focus is on three pillars: science and innovation, education and advocacy, and events and engagement. That could mean supporting new ideas, running food literacy workshops, or hosting gatherings like the farm visits. It’s about awareness and giving youth a real seat at the table.
Anna: Finally, what excites you most about the future?
Laura: A food system that values what truly matters: nutrition, nature, connection and knowing where our food comes from. I see a future where our farmers and regional and rural communities are supported on their transformation journeys towards regenerating global soil, plant and human health. I see a future where farmers are rewarded not just for how much they produce but for the quality of what and how they grow. And where Indigenous, women and youth voices are not just included but central to shaping that system.
Closing reflections
Our conversation spanned valleys and mountains, classrooms and international stages, Farmers’ markets and UN forums. Laura’s journey is a reminder that the skills we gather along the way, however varied, eventually weave into something whole.
She speaks of food not only as fuel but as a thread that binds people and place. Her work from policy research to youth advocacy, from F2F TEKWOMEN Agri-Rise to the World Food Forum is already shaping the future of agriculture in Australia. And she does it with a sense of trust that community, land and learning will continue to guide her path.
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