For food and agritech consultant Sophie Rebbeck, agriculture has always been her passion since she grew up on a small farm in Lincoln, Canterbury, where her deep connection to the land sparked a lifelong love for the industry.
Rebbeck had initially planned to study nutrition or physiotherapy at university but changed her mind and took a year off to work at Plant & Food Research.
She loved being outdoors and working on the land. This experience led her to study Horticultural Science at Lincoln University.
Post-graduation, she continued to work at Plant & Food Research, managing cereal winter nurseries for Northern Hemisphere plant breeders and later leading the CropSeed Business Unit. She has also worked at ANZCO Foods with some of New Zealand's top sheep and beef farmers.
Over the past decade, Rebbeck has been focused on agrifood technology, collaborating with industry stakeholders and end-users to address critical challenges.
Her roles at Lincoln Agritech, consulting to Callaghan Innovation and AgriFutures Australia (growAG.), involved bridging the gap between industry needs and research, ensuring that technological solutions were aligned with market demands.
She has also volunteered with various organisations, such as Precision Ag Association NZ and AgriTechNZ, building strong networks across the agritech ecosystem.
Three years ago, she started Rebbeck Consulting, a major career highlight. She contracted to businesses in the agrifood tech sector. Known as a "super-connector," she likes to connect the dots and actively foster collaboration across the ecosystem between New Zealand and Australia.
“It wasn’t something I initially planned - I kind of fell into it - here I am three years later; I love it and am so glad to be in this position. Running my consultancy has given me the freedom to choose my work and the people I collaborate with while maintaining a great work-life balance,” said Rebbeck.
“I also love the diversity of my work. I travel, meet passionate farmers and growers, engage with top researchers tackling complex challenges, and work with innovative start-ups developing groundbreaking technology.”
Rebbeck added that she was grateful for those who challenged her to be better and those who have taken the time to mentor her. She admired those willing to be vulnerable and share their stories.
One person she acknowledged was Annabelle Matson, her business and life coach for over five years, whose support has been invaluable.
She was also inspired by the farmers and growers who have continued to be resilient, as well as agritech start-ups, many of whom put in long hours, oftentimes without pay, all in pursuit of creating solutions that will shape the future of agriculture.
Her advice to others in the industry was to keep pushing themselves, embrace challenges, trust in the process, and start without seeing the complete plan; the rest will fall into place.
“You are the energy of the five people you spend the most time with, so surround yourself with those who empower and inspire you. Define what success means to you, not what society tells you it should be.”
