AFI Forum
Welcome to the AFI Forum, showcasing what we’re up to now and what we’ve done before.
From the vault:
Published 21 Feb 2022
The environment in which advocacy operates in is anything but stable. Advocacy must progressively adapt to not only remain effective, but thrive in the face of change rather than merely survive. Is Australia’s agricultural advocacy well positioned for the inevitable challenges?
Published 30 Dec 2020
The AFI publishes podcasts on subjects material to the farm policy discussions for Australian agriculture. Series 1 features recordings of the AFI’s Roundtable held in October 2019 discussing how we value agriculture’s natural capital. Series 2 presents discussions on topical policy issues from AFI’s research and publications agenda.
Published 24 Nov 2020
The AFI has been accelerating positive change by leading the farm policy discussion and promoting policy solutions that maximise the economic and social wellbeing of Australian farmers since 2004. As the policy landscape changes – now more than ever – we are making changes to help us ensure a viable…
Published 1 Aug 2018
The divide has long acted not just as a physical barrier between the thin strip of land to the east and the rest of the country, but also in a figurative sense has been a delineator between the city and the bush. Most of Australia’s agriculture occurs west of the…
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?…
Featured content:
Published 27 Feb 2023
AFI will hold two major in-person events this year. Mark your calendar and keep an eye on the AFI Events website page for updates our 4 July conference in Adelaide and 17 October Roundtable in Canberra.
Published 21 Feb 2023
Feedback on a range of animal welfare and other practices in relation to market requirements and considerations for trade access can be confronting to Australian farmers who have been performing these practices with the best intentions of animal welfare and environmental protection in mind. So why is there such a…
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…
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…
Published 20 Dec 2022
Competition to deliver sustainability outputs in agrifood supply chains is intense. Companies – whether they be retailers, food manufacturers, processors, or traders – are increasingly setting targets to improve sustainability in the supply chains they operate in. Delivering on those targets and reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria…
Published 4 Nov 2022
More than ever, farmers need strong, effective advocates. However, organic growth in the advocacy ecosystem across disparate regions and sectors has led to duplication of structures and replication of intent. Australian agricultural advocacy is riddled with issues – and rich in resources. To adapt effectively, agricultural advocates must take personal…
Published 3 Nov 2022
Collaborating for global agricultural sustainability
The sustainability of food systems around the world is a pressing issue for everyone. A new collaborative initiative aims to use existing evidence & emerging research, informing dialogue that can unlock new thinking to improve global agricultural sustainability. The Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) will leverage think-tank…
Published 19 Oct 2022
“On sustainability, I want to be the Minister that works with industry, workers and rural communities to tackle climate change, to reduce emissions, to build resilience, to adapt practices, to develop new income streams, to ensure Australia’s long-term agricultural productivity and food and fibre security – it’s key to the…
Published 12 Oct 2022
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and has some of its most highly variable rainfall and runoff. Successfully managing our waters and catchments is critical for human flourishing, agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, regional development, successful industry, reconciliation with First Peoples and adapting to a changing climate. It is…
Published 6 Oct 2022
The Australian Farm Institute has joined with other leading independent agricultural organisations to form a collaborative initiative known as the Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI), to increase the sustainability of agriculture across the world. The purpose of the collaboration is to use existing evidence and emerging research…
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…
Published 13 Jul 2022
Let’s face it, sometimes policy research and analysis can be a little dull. However, anyone with even a passing interest in agriculture could not describe the Australian agricultural policy environment of the last few years as dull. Initiatives aimed at addressing drought impacts, long-term sustainability, trade and supply chains have…
Published 31 May 2022
This event has concluded: From farm gate to café plate, pressures to report on and deliver against ESG metrics are introducing new requirements throughout agricultural supply chains. ESG reporting measures the environmental, social and governance performance of a business, providing transparency for customers, stakeholders, stockholders and investors. Capability improvements across…
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…
Published 4 Apr 2022
At first glance the title of this paper may raise eyebrows, indeed may even be insulting to some. Isn’t Australian agriculture already sustainable? How can family farms be secure for future generations without being sustainable? Sustainability, however, is not a fixed construct. Definitions and drivers of sustainability change over time…
Published 23 Feb 2022
First and foremost, the grains industry must recognise the existential threat posed by climate change to sectoral productivity and profitability as the primary driver for carbon neutrality. Compounding this fundamental threat, a failure to proactively move to net zero targets could see the industry ‘locked out’ of key trading markets…
Published 21 Feb 2022
The environment in which advocacy operates in is anything but stable. Advocacy must progressively adapt to not only remain effective, but thrive in the face of change rather than merely survive. Is Australia’s agricultural advocacy well positioned for the inevitable challenges?
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…
Published 24 Nov 2021
With COP26 in the rear-view mirror and a looming federal election likely to further inflame climate-focused rhetoric, this edition of Farm Institute Insights takes square aim at the political apathy on climate change leadership in Australia. While industry forges ahead with ambitious sector-specific targets, government ennui not only hinders market…
Published 28 Oct 2021
This paper considers how the agriculture sector can leverage stimulatory regional investment to ensure enduring economic stability and social benefits by establishing a virtuous cycle of beneficial impacts. A strong agricultural sector, availability of regional jobs and financial capital, and improved regional liveability are not only linked but interdependent. While…
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?
Published 16 Aug 2021
Sometimes agriculture can be regarded as insular and resistant to learnings from outside industry. Wickedly complex agricultural challenges such as climate change, food security and natural capital degradation intersect with other areas across the economy, and cross-sectoral learning can be transferred for the benefit of all. This Insights newsletter explores…
Published 2 Aug 2021
Soil carbon farming has been promoted as one of the key strategies for offsetting Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the ancillary benefit of improving soil health and farm productivity. This article explains in simple terms the procedures for a farmer to participate in the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund. It…
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…
Published 7 Jun 2021
At the recent Global Food Forum in Sydney, delegates heard agribusiness leaders assert that “sustainability is now mainstream” for the agri-food industry. An increasing number of programs, projects and potential pitfalls are appearing in the ag sector. In this Insights edition, AFI offers a high-level look at some of the…
Published 28 May 2021
Australian agriculture is a sector heavily reliant on trade, with more than 70% of all agricultural production (by value) exported.[1] Due to the very low levels of government assistance received by Australian farmers compared to many global agriculture sectors[2], free trade agreements (FTAs) play a crucial role in navigating export…
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…
Published 10 Mar 2021
While COVID-19 is the most prominent disruptor of trade in recent times, it is far from the only one. Geopolitical tensions, socio-economic changes, infrastructure challenges and biosecurity concerns are not merely theoretical risks but active disruptors to Australia’s export-reliant agriculture sector. What do we need to know to manage these…
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 2 Feb 2021
RESEARCH REPORT: Managing farm-related land use conflict in NSW The Australian Farm Institute estimates $20.3 billion can be added to the gross value of agricultural production through digital technology, while the National Farmers’ Federation has identified it as one of the keys to making agriculture a $100 billion industry by…
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