About Us
Aggie Global was founded by Lisa and Zoe Paisley, jointly known as ‘The (Paisley) Twins’.
Growing up in the outskirts of Sydney, Lisa and Zoe were exposed to ‘country’ and urban living, which sparked their passion for the outdoors and food. Both Lisa and Zoe studied Agriculture at university to cultivate their passion in agriculture because “everyone needs to eat”. By learning the ins and outs of food production it was one way Lisa and Zoe could make sure everyone could eat, whilst making positive impact within society.
The twins caught the 'travel bug' from their family, so choosing an industry that had ‘no roots’ was preferred. During their degree they gained experience in Australia, Laos and Fiji to understand agricultural systems in countries with an income of level 1-3, whilst improving how we view agriculture and farming communities in level 4 income countries, like Australia. This exposure gave them the incentive to make a difference and bring their expertise to farmers in rural areas and countries with less access to markets, having come from a privileged background.
In 2018, Lisa and Zoe moved into the 'Cubbyhouse' (fond term for their apartment) in Sigatoka, Fiji. The Cubbyhouse is where Aggie Global started, registered as Agriculture Connect Pte Ltd in Fiji and evolved into its current form to date.
When COVID-19 halted all tourism in Fiji and the Australian government advised citizens to return home in mid-March 2020, Lisa and Zoe returned back to Australia.
Lisa and Zoe worked remotely in Australia during COVID-19 with unknown plans of when they will be back in Fiji. However, the great news from COVID-19 for Aggie Global, is we hired employees in Fiji, which we are proud to support our Fijian community in anyway we can, whether this is connecting farmers to new markets, hiring local employees or easing the logistics around buying local food for buyers.
Read more about the Aggie team below.
Lisa Paisley, Co-founder
When starting her career in agriculture, Lisa wanted to focus on one thing. Addressing food security. Her university studies focused on sustainable food production and the use of technology to reduce negative environmental, social and economic impacts associated with agriculture. Lisa’s understanding in horticulture, integrated pest management, post harvest management and soil science, will enable Aggie Global to facilitate the development of efficient and profitable food supply chains. She graduated from Sydney University in 2018, receiving first class honors in her Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree.
Since July 2016, Lisa has worked with farmers in Fiji at various capacities. This ranged from conducting consultancies and workshops with farmers to leading teams of 30+ students working on agricultural projects in multiple developing countries. Lisa has undertaken training that is the equivalent of a Certificate IV in Leadership in Team Management.
Lisa is passionate about bridging the gap between farmers, markets and researchers to ensure the agricultural sphere thrives. She endeavours to ensure the business benefits all customers and community members to ensure food security is overcome in a sustainable manner. To ensure Aggie Global obtains its goals, Lisa is constantly seeking to grow Aggie Global’s community by seeking out new Aggies.
Zoe Paisley, Co-founder
Zoe is a fellow co-founder of Aggie Global. She graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honors in Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Over the course of the degree, Zoe studied a range of topics in agriculture, from horticulture and agronomy to new and emerging technology in animal production. Through placements, Zoe gained first hand experience in a range of sectors within the agricultural industry both nationally and internationally, which further enhanced her passion for development agriculture.
Zoe obtained the equivalent of a Certificate IV in Leadership in Management, giving her experience of managing teams to achieve a goal. She has managed 7 teams across 4 developing countries at a single point in time, over a four month time period. From this, she knows how to manage people effective to reach goals, hence her ability to run Aggie Global across 2 countries since the founding of Aggie Global.
Within Aggie Global, Zoe Paisley focuses on the products and services delivered to the Aggies, by improving upon the existing products and services and guiding the development of future products.
Savaira Salele, Logistics and Sales Support
Sava was born and raised in Lautoka. She has always been a great helping hand for her friends and family whenever and wherever they needed help.
I was so inspired by Aggie and it's core values and got motivated by my bestie, Elizabeth, to help the cause and be the itaukei voice in the team. Sava is a proud Fijian and admires all Fijian made products especially the fresh produce that our local hardworking farmers supply to us! She truly understands the communication barriers many of our itaukei farmers face every day, and uses her mothertongue to translate for our farmers to make sure their views are heard and that they are completely understood. This is what empowers and inspired Sava every day.
At Aggie Global, Sava is does most of our farmer onboarding and helps Elizabeth out with deliveries and logistics as orders come in.
Outside of Aggie Global, Sava runs her own online business with her sister. The business helps people find homes for their pre-used furniture, making sure nothing goes to waste.
We are a team of four women, all of different ethnicities but we are ONE team working toward the same goals.
Do note that Elizabeth Grace previously worked for Aggie Global in Fiji, but her employment was terminated in April 2022. Please refer to the above list of current staff members to guide any future communications about food procurement or partnership opportunities with Aggie Global in Fiji. See our contact us page for more details.