David Hudson has extensive experience in Australian agriculture, including a 23 year career with Monsanto. David was actively involved in leading Monsanto’s efforts to develop conservation tillage and the introduction of Roundup Ready® canola and Ingard® (Bt) Cotton into Australia. More recently he was responsible for gaining regulatory approval for the first GM industrial crop (Super High Oleic Safflower) which will generate industrial grade oil for the oleo-chemical industry.

Since 2005 David has provided consulting services to clients in Australia and globally via his company SGA Solutions in the fields of seed, grain and agbiotech.  David’s expertise has been sought by clients to assist in the development of strategies and business plans for the introduction of a range of innovative technologies applicable to pastures, grains, horticulture, sugar, cotton, livestock and the seafood industry.  On behalf of clients David has successfully participated in negotiating a number of R & D collaboration and commercialization agreements with leading multinational agbiotech companies. For three years David was CEO of Leaf Energy an agbiotech company which focuses on the development of plant based proteins and biofuel production in sugar cane.

David has established with a colleague a new company PTM Solutions which is focused on facilitating access to the infrastructure (e.g. regulatory, laboratory, glasshouse and field trials) required to progress agbiotech technologies along the pathway to market.

David was formerly chair of the AusBiotech Ag and Food Tech committee and a member of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia, Grain Trade Australia Market Access Committee and the Australian Seed Federation Plant Breeders and Marketers Committee. In 2016 David was appointed an Honorary Fellow in the School of Agriculture and Veterinary Science – University of Melbourne. David has been an active contributor to the development of industry policies related to the stewardship of, GM crops and pastures within Australian agriculture.