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Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2009. Sustainable Farming. [Online] (Updated April 22nd, 2009)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/3124 [Accessed Tuesday 26th of April 2011 03:00:19 PM ].

Program

Sustainable Farming

program theme

Climate change, constraints on land and water for food production; rapid increases in the cost of agricultural inputs; and increasing world demand for food are changing the face of agriculture. The speed of social change is increasing through the globalisation of markets and economic influences, and instantaneous world-wide communication.

The extent and pace of change is generating unprecedented challenges to rural Australia and governments in adaptation requiring the generation, communication and adoption of new knowledge. New awareness, integrated knowledge, multi-disciplinary skills, adaptive management approaches and inclusive leadership are being recognised as the appropriate pathways to provide solutions to complex problems.

Challenges for the rural sector involving integrated economic, social, scientific and technological knowledge include:

  • major productivity increases required to offset declining terms of trade associated with rapid rises in input costs;
  • significant change in natural resource use and management required to achieve productivity increases, meet regulatory equirements and satisfy the expectations of markets on how natural assets are used and the environment is conserved;
  • major locational changes in where food is produced to reduce the risk of climate variability and change;
  • water use efficiency needing to be transformed with substantial improvement in output per megalitre using modern technology and reducing the impact of farm operations on water quality;
  • soil health needing to be intimately understood, measured, monitored and effectively managed to meet output targets and prevent degradation, loss of biodiversity and off-site environmental impacts;
  • the inclusion of agricultural industries in the carbon economy requiring measurement of GHG emissions, carbon sequestration and institutions for participation in carbon trading;
  • the demands of markets and communities for improvements in biodiversity conservation, animal welfare and food safety and nutrition; and
  • understanding the role of rural and regional communities as sources of human and social capital for food production and environmental goods and services.

Agricultural industries are increasingly being required to account for their economic, social and environmental impact. Such accountability is driven by community expectations of socially and environmentally responsible business, market preferences for products and services produced in a sustainable and healthy way, and international and domestic regulations requiring compliance with social and environmental best practice.

The Social and Institutional Research Program is now scoping out projects that address these issues.

id: 3124 / created: 08 April, 2009 / last updated: 22 April, 2009