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Published 26 Feb 2021
Broadacre irrigation in the southern Murray-Darling Basin is set to change dramatically: is this the creative destruction we want? In discussions about the Basin Plan and re-balancing extractive water rights in favour of environmental needs, one key reform has been consistently underestimated in its significant and permanent effect on irrigation…
Published 24 Feb 2021
Innovation is not a buzzword or a box to check on a business plan; it is a vital component for sustainable economic development. The Australian agriculture sector faces a serious and present threat in climate change, which cannot be addressed by incremental adaptation; innovative responses to this challenge are a…
Published 18 Dec 2020
Farmers can suffer significant economic consequences from land use conflict. However, this research shows the most severe impacts from these disputes are largely non-financial. In key informant interviews conducted for the study, mental health, social and physical amenity, industry decline and erosion of trust emerged as the primary impacts of…
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…
Published 14 Dec 2020
From Dec 7-11th 2020, the AFI and the Sydney Institute of Agriculture hosted a series of conversations about the future of conservation ag. The online conference is available as a webinar series of 5 x 2-hour videos (10 hours total) – FREE for AFI members and $49.50 for non-members. (Members…
Published 1 Dec 2020
Early in 2020 the Australian Farm Institute undertook a research project on behalf of the National Farmer’s Federation for Phase 1 of the Australian Farm Biodiversity Certification Scheme, which is a component of the Australian Government’s $34 million Agricultural Stewardship package. This project reviewed best practice management standards and collated extensive feedback…
Published 30 Nov 2020
The Federal Government has announced that part of Australia’s strategy to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19 will be a ‘gas-led recovery’. However, increasing gas production in Australia creates obstacles to the agriculture sector’s economic viability, social cohesion, environmental stewardship and ability to meet sustainability goals.
Published 26 Nov 2020
The production of dairy products is associated with environmental impacts, and these impacts have resulted in calls within the popular media to reduce dairy consumption for the benefit of the environment (e.g. Carrington, 2018; Eating Better, 2020). Impacts of current production are estimated by environmental footprints; the use of environmental…
Published 25 Nov 2020
It’s been a tumultuous year in many ways but there’s one topic which is undeniably ubiquitous: how has COVID changed the ways we operate? This edition of Insights looks at NSW Farmers’ eight-point reform and recovery plan, canvasses global opinions on potential international farm policy ramifications, covers the shift to…
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…
Published 9 Sep 2020
Markets not working well provide an endless source of agricultural policy discussion. Not surprisingly, complaints of market failure, of imbalance of power and monopolistic (or monopsonistic) behaviour, are enticing and often involve the classic David and Goliath battle of the small business failing because of competition from larger competitors and…
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?…