Australia played a key role in shaping the agreement, serving as Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and representing the Western Pacific region.
The women’s joyful, eye-catching presence this year too drew interest and admiration from fellow participants and bystanders, many of whom stopped to take photos and learn more about the meaning behind their traditional clothing.
Prof. Varshney, Director of the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation (CCFI), the WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, and Murdoch University’s International Chair in Agriculture and Food Security, is one of only four Australians to have received the honour since the list was launched in 2024.
Reflecting on her month-long journey, Paige said the warmth she encountered wherever she travelled was one of the main reasons she had developed such a strong affection for India.
