Farm Policy Journals

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The Farm Policy Journal is published quarterly by the Australian Farm Institute. It contains invited and contributed articles, addressing a range of policy issues that impact on agriculture. Australian Farm Institute members receive copies of the Journal, and it is also available by subscription, in either hardcopy or electronic format.

The Farm Policy Journal welcomes contributions on topical farm policy issues from suitably qualified persons. Instructions for Authors may be accessed here.

ISSN: 1449-2210 (print), 1449-8812 (online)
Publisher: Australian Farm Institute

Please note single Journal articles are not available in hard copy.

Spring 2022: Circular economies in agriculture

Published 21 Dec 2022

The development of circular economies is imperative in the path towards a more sustainable future. Agricultural economies – like many other economic sectors – still operate largely in a linear mode, particularly when only parts of agricultural value chains are considered. For example, most farm businesses purchase inputs such as…

Summer 2022: Is value-adding a pipe dream for Australian agriculture?

Published 21 Dec 2022

This year’s John Ralph Essay Competition posed the question: is value-adding a pipe dream for Australian agriculture? The relevance of this question was elevated by the unexpected and unwelcome combination of a global pandemic with geopolitical disruption which focused the attention of policy-makers on supply chain security across the economy, and…

Winter 2022: Securing agriculture’s future workforce

Published 25 Aug 2022

In an era of historic low unemployment, labour shortages are endemic across the economy. Agriculture, which has traditionally struggled with attracting its required workforce, has been further impacted by pandemic-enforced restrictions to seasonal and overseas labour. The industry must redouble its efforts to be competitive in an increasingly tight job…

Certification Education Employment Measurement Regional Youth

Autumn 2022: Upsides, offsides, blindsides: considerations for an ag offsets market

Published 12 Apr 2022

A pathway towards net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is practically impossible without environmental offsets of some kind. While there is now significant effort and investment in reducing GHG emissions at source, there will always be some emissions which are too difficult or too costly to reduce. The environmental impact…

Climate change Measurement Sustainability

Summer 2021: Should ag data be a public good? – John Ralph Essay Competition 2021

Published 21 Dec 2021

The 2021 John Ralph Essay Competition asked entrants to examine whether ag data should be considered a public good. A ‘public good’ is an asset, resource or service which is non-excludable and non-rivalrous (biodiversity is one example). Would treating ag data as a public good help the sector by fast-tracking…

Ag data AI Privacy Productivity Public good Robotics Trust

Spring 2021: Is agricultural advocacy future-fit?

Published 12 Oct 2021

Is agricultural advocacy fit to manage an increasing array of future challenges? In a landscape where community attitudes influence regulatory change at a faster pace than ever before, and in which disruptive change to business has become the new normal, how well are agricultural advocates positioned to respond and participate?

Advocacy Communication Diversity Measurement Performance Productivity Representation Social Licence

Winter 2021: Ag thriving in disruption

Published 21 Jul 2021

There’s no denying that 2020 was a year of extreme disruption by any measure. The COVID-19 pandemic was responsible for tragically high loss of life and the shuttering of countries and economies around the world. In Australia, the agricultural economy was further disrupted by ongoing trade disputes and the imposition…

Agri-food Disruption Livestock Regenerative agriculture

Autumn 2021: Perspectives on measuring agricultural performance

Published 13 Apr 2021

‘You can’t manage what you don’t measure’ – the well-used adage that often appears when discussing the need for farm businesses to keep good records. It holds true no matter what scale of farm business may be discussed, and indeed equally for understanding performance of aggregates of businesses or an…

Data Economics Productivity R&D

Summer 2020: Are competition measures delivering farmers a fair go?

Published 17 Dec 2020

Five years ago, the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper noted ‘a fairer go for farm businesses’ as a priority action area. This year’s AFI John Ralph Essay Competition asked respondents to consider whether current competition measures are delivering that promised ‘fair go’. The submissions covered an intriguing range of ideas and…

Competition Poultry Social Licence

Spring 2020: Leveraging Australian agriculture’s competitive edge

Published 13 Oct 2020

Australian agriculture continues to depend on global markets for prosperity and growth. While our share of global agricultural markets has been declining, exports still remain a vital component of the growth story of Australian agriculture. This spring edition of the Farm Policy Journal contains four articles which explore how Australian agriculture remains relevant…

Competition Global Markets Trade

Winter 2020: Shifting sands: ag policy in a post-truth era

Published 1 Jun 2020

This winter edition explores a number of themes in relation to the increasingly difficult environment of policy development in a post-truth era. How is truth established in today’s world, where alternative facts and fake news are blamed by those on every side of every debate for diminishing their ‘truthful’ position?…

Conservation Environment Social Licence Sustainability

Autumn 2020: Evolving conservation agriculture

Published 1 Mar 2020

Conservation agriculture is the dominant cropping system in Australia, yet many conservation agriculture practices are under threat. Accelerated evolution of farming systems is necessary to ensure that Australian farmers can continue to farm in a profitable, productive and sustainable fashion. This edition explores some of the drivers for change to…

Climate Conservation Conservation Agriculture Cropping Environment Natural Capital Social Licence Sustainability

Spring 2019: Managing agriculture’s ecosystem services

Published 1 Sep 2019

The Spring Journal outlines what ecosystem services are, how they might be delivered and examines the potential for what will essentially be a new sector for Australian agriculture. Ecosystem services provide the opportunity for new sources of income and incentivisation for protection of Australian agriculture’s natural capital. However, there are…

Conservation Environment Natural Capital Natural Resource Management Sustainability

Winter 2019: A thirst for certainty: irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin

Published 1 Jun 2019

Irrigated agriculture has been one of the most contentious issues of 2019. Calls for a Royal Commission into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin are an indication of just how high emotions have been running on this issue. While it is arguable that when no-one is happy it is probably…

Conservation Horticulture Infrastructure Irrigation MDB Sustainability Water

Autumn 2019: Disruptions in agricultural trade

Published 1 Mar 2019

Australian agriculture is trade dependent. Around 65% of Australia’s agricultural production is exported and if the sector is to achieve the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) target of $100 billion of farmgate output it will mostly occur as a result of export growth. Yet there are many current disruptive factors to…

Global Grains Markets Trade Transport

Summer 2019: John Ralph Essay Competition 2019: What is the future for animal agriculture?

Published 1 Feb 2019

Animals have been at the heart of agriculture for millennia, yet today there is a concerted campaign from a vocal minority to reduce – or even eliminate – animals from agricultural systems. While the livestock industry makes a significant economic and social contribution to Australia as an employer, provider of…

Alternative Proteins Animal Welfare Beef Livestock Social Licence Sustainability

Spring 2018: Tax and regulation for farm business sustainability

Published 1 Sep 2018

‘Nothing is certain but death and taxes’: it is appropriate that the proverb about the unavoidability of tax is attributed to many sources. Regulation (including tax) that impacts on farm business sustainability is a many-headed monster originating from multiple legislative agendas and political platforms. As is made clear in this…

Winter 2018: Is agriculture ready for autonomy?

Published 1 Jun 2018

Autonomous and robotic applications are expanding rapidly into agriculture, and new uses of technology for agriculture are emerging almost on a daily basis. Papers included in this edition investigate aspects of the use of autonomous farming systems that will require different thinking and strategy – and potentially new regulations –…

Autonomous Digital Innovation P2D Precision Agriculture Technology

Autumn 2018: SPECIAL EDITION: Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture

Published 1 Mar 2018

The Autumn 2018 Farm Policy Journal addresses how much digital technology will transform agriculture, the likely benefits and disadvantages of these technologies and the issues the sector must address to effectively implement a digital strategy. Papers included in this edition are abridged versions of the project reports produced for the…

Digital Innovation P2D Precision Agriculture Technology

Summer 2018 – Farm Policy Journal: John Ralph Essay Competition 2018: Should society determine the right to farm?

Published 2 Feb 2018

Trust, or more accurately a general lack of trust, in government, business, media and NGOs continues to be a significant issue in 2018. Agriculture is not immune from this lack of trust and is exposed to significant change as a result. A non-trusting general population is enabling a political environment…

Animal Welfare Chemicals Climate Conservation Environment Marketing Social Licence Sustainability

Summer 2017–18: Consolidation and competition in agricultural markets

Published 1 Feb 2018

The impact of increased market concentration in agriculture has been the focus of much research, discussion, and regulation over the past century. Finding the right balance between markets that are highly concentrated and markets that exhibit healthy competition is an enduring challenge that confronts agricultural policy-makers.