Anika Molesworth


Anika Molesworth is an Australian agroecologist and scientist. She is a public figure on issues of food security, nature conservation, climate change and rural community development. Molesworth currently sits on the Board of Directors of Farmers for Climate Action, the NSW committee of the Crawford Fund, and is a Governor of WWF-Australia.

Early life and education

Molesworth was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She studied a Bachelor of Science specialising in Agribusiness at Charles Sturt University, a Masters of Sustainable Agriculture at Charles Sturt University, and a PhD in Agroecosystems at Deakin University.

Career

Molesworth is an Australian agroecology scientist, farmer and public commentator on climate change, farming and food systems.
In 2014, Molesworth established Climate Wise Agriculture, which is a platform that shares knowledge on the topic of climate change as it relates to agriculture. She is a Founding Director of Farmers for Climate Action, a farmer-led organisation that advocates for climate solutions which support rural communities. She was appointed Deputy Chair of the organisation in 2020.
Molesworth has worked in international agricultural development since 2014, including several projects with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Her research has focused on improving the environmental conditions and livelihoods of subsistence farmers. She was appointed to the NSW committee of the Crawford Fund in 2018, which supports research and development in agriculture. Molesworth joined The Climate Reality Project in 2016, and under the guidance of its Founder and Chair Al Gore, became a Climate Reality Mentor in 2019. Later that year, she travelled to Antarctica with the largest ever expedition of women in STEM. Her involvement with Homeward Bound has positioned her as an advocate for gender equity, rural youth and climate change leadership.
As a prominent science communicator and frequent media commentator, Molesworth has had her work reported in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Conversation, ABC, SBS, and other media outlets. She has contributed to reports with the Climate Council and the Commission of the Human Future. In 2017, Molesworth presented a TEDxSydney Youth talk “Farmers are key to a better future.” Her first book is due to be published in 2021 by Pan Macmillan Publishers.

Awards and honours