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Rangelands worldwide have been subject to broadscale modification, such as widespread predator control, introduction of permanent livestock water and altered vegetation to improve grazing. In Australia, these landscape changes have resulted in kangaroos (i.e. large macropods) populations increasing over the past 200 years. Kangaroos are a key contributor to total grazing pressure and in conjunction with livestock and feral herbivores have been linked to land degradation. We used 22 years of aerial survey data to investigate whether the density of 3 macropod species in the southern rangelands of Western Australia was associated with: (i) land use, including type of livestock, total livestock, density of feral goats, type of land tenure, and kangaroo commercial harvest effort; (ii) predator management, including permitted dingo control effort, estimated dingo abundance, and presence of the State Barrier Fence (a dingo exclusion fence); and (iii) environmental variables: ruggedness, rainfall, fractional cover, and total standing dry matter. Red kangaroos (Osphranter rufus) were most abundant in flat, open vegetation, on pastoral land, where area permitted for dingo control was high, and numbers were positively associated with antecedent rainfall with a 12-month delay. Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) were most abundant on flat, agricultural land, but less abundant in areas with high permitted dingo control. Euros (Osphranter robustus) were most abundant in rugged pastoral land with open vegetation, where permitted dingo control was high. While environmental variables are key drivers of landscape productivity and kangaroo populations, anthropogenic factors such as land use and permitted dingo control are strongly associated with kangaroo abundance., (© 2022 The Authors. Integrative Zoology published by International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The article focuses on various issues related to agriculture in Australia including shortage of agricultural graduates, global warming, and retention of prime agricultural land as discussed in the papers in the agricultural competitiveness issue. Topics include establishment of intern programs to attract entrants to agriculture courses, sequestration of carbon, and development of national standards by federal government for protection of prime agricultural land from mining and encroachment.

Purpose: This paper examines the views of Australian primary school parents regarding the food and nutrition education (FNE) curriculum. Associations with personal values (Universalism and Hedonism) and demographic measures were also explored. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was conducted among 787 parents in March 2021. Parents rated the importance of 17 FNE topics. They were also asked about their support for six curriculum improvements and to state their own improvement suggestions. Findings: Parents viewed the "Effect of food on health" and "Food hygiene" as the most important topics. Three FNE components were derived: (1) food safety and preparation, (2) health and nutrition information, (3) food origins and environmental sustainability. The "Food safety and preparation" component score was associated with both universalism-nature and hedonism values but negatively associated with parental education. The "Health and nutrition information" component score was associated with universalism-nature value and main language spoken at home. Lastly, the "Food origins and environmental sustainability" component score was associated with universalism-nature value. The two personal values, universalism-nature and hedonism, were more strongly associated with parents' views of curriculum topics than parental demographic characteristics. Parents had several criticisms of current FNE, including school food environments not resonating with FNE taught in the classroom and that FNE might increase the risk of eating disorders. They also suggested that the FNE curriculum should support both parents and teachers by providing relevant resources and training. Originality/value: Australian parents' views of the importance of FNE topics and how to improve FNE in primary schools have been under-examined.

Although Australia's population is concentrated in major urban centres along its coastal fringe, its less populous rural communities are important to society and the economy—supporting sectors like agriculture, which occupies over half the continent's land mass and accounts for 2.2% of value added gross domestic product (GDP) (Jackson et al., 2020). The vast distances between urban and rural centres present challenges to the provision of essential infrastructure like roads, transport, energy – and telecommunications. Within this last category, internet connectivity and skills are both increasingly necessary and historically less available to the regional and rural agricultural sector in comparison to other industries and geographic communities. The digital inclusion agenda in Australia aims to address such gaps by promoting and supporting people and communities to use technology to improve social and economic well-being. This article builds on research underpinning the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII), which defines digital inclusion as the capacity of people to access , afford and use online technologies effectively. The article focuses on the nature and extent of digital inclusion for Australia's farmers (identified as farmers and farm managers) based on analysis of a customised set of primary data extracted from the ADII dataset. This analysis reveals generally low levels of digital inclusion in rural communities, particularly among farmers, with distinctive and complex characteristics across measures of Access, Affordability and Digital Ability. Our findings highlight a perplexing scenario in which farmers score poorly on the Index when compared to Australians who live in similar circumstances but are not employed in the farming sector. We attribute lower levels of access to limited internet technology options, lower data speeds, inadequate reliability and lower data allowances. Less affordability is associated with individual-level socioeconomic factors, along with lack of competition between service providers in sparse population areas, the comparative cost of building telecommunications infrastructure in the bush, and the need for redundancy in rural and remote solutions. Finally, lower digital ability scores reflect social, cultural and material practices on farms that have produced distinctive orientations to technology. We conclude the article by explaining the contributions of the paper to digital inclusion research and by making recommendations for policy development. • Farmers in rural Australia have low levels of digital inclusion across access, affordability and digital ability. • Low access and affordability may be attributed to insufficient internet infrastructure and limited technology and data. • Low ability may be attributed to demographic factors and social, economic and material practices. • Governments and industry should consider the development of digital skills programs tailored for the farming sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current developments in the Australian agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) system exemplify the complex governance challenges arising from the international privatisation of agricultural extension. Presenting early challenges emerging from a multi-stakeholder project aimed at stimulating the role of the private advisory sector in the RD&E system, this paper contributes to understanding change dynamics in the RD&E system. Methodology: The project applies action research to assist reframing current RD&E governance arrangements towards an enhanced, pluralistic and collaborative system. This paper uses multi-level transition theory (MLP) to explore the dynamics of change by describing the "regime" of the current Australian RD&E system, wherein the project is an emergent "niche-in-the-making". Findings: The regime-based challenges arising from the unfolding Australian project collaboration allow critical assessment of the first moves of niche formation initiated by the project. Initial findings suggest a persisting instrumentalist conceptualisation of the private sector's role in the RD&E system solely as extension providers. This is in tension with the project vision of supporting new roles for private sector advisers as key actors in the governance of co-innovation processes. Practical implications: In describing these challenges and considering how the project's action research can facilitate participant responses, we contribute to understanding how niche formation can be supported in Australia and internationally. Theoretical implications: The paper contributes to a research agenda related to the governance of agricultural advisory services via an analysis of social practice elements that constitute internal niche processes. Originality: Enabling critical analysis of the incumbent regime of the current RD&E system, this framework provides insights into how niche responses aimed at the RD&E system change can be supported.

Research-for-development (R4D), as a mode of foreign aid, is a practical way to support developing countries. However, few studies have assessed the scientific impacts of R4D projects. Here, we applied an integrated assessment approach to evaluate the scientific impact of research projects commissioned by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research's Fisheries Program in the Asia-Pacific region between 2000 and 2012. We use publication metrics and expert panel reviews to examine trends in scientific outputs among 73 fisheries and aquaculture research projects. Among projects, there was considerable variation in publication types and outputs (including academic papers, magazine articles, policy reports, books, and book chapters), and projects produced, on average, 10 publications at a funded-dollar cost of AU$41,000 per publication. Bilateral and multilateral projects tended to produce more refereed journal articles and citations per funded dollar than single-country projects, and publication outputs were poor for certain countries. With the exception of fisheries projects, larger (more highly funded) projects did not produce more journal articles per funded dollar than smaller projects. Project duration had no significant effect on the number of refereed publications, citation rates, or total citations per funded dollar across projects. Aquaculture projects had greater publication impact, per funded dollar than fisheries projects. Beyond the bibliometric measures, qualitative findings indicated that scientific impact was strongly influenced by motivations of project leaders and their institutions. We identified disparate impact performance among industries and countries. These findings could inform future overseas aid investments, policies and strategies. This study offers useful benchmarks for gauging scientific impacts of R4D programs and shows the value of using approaches that go beyond bibliometric measures.

In this paper we outline an analytical approach to identifying points in the policy process where management intervention to adjust organizational design could enhance delivery of innovation policy over time. We illustrate this approach using an example from native vegetation policy in the state of Victoria, Australia. We then use this approach to interpret recent reviews of the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program, a policy instrument aimed at enhancing national economic growth by fostering innovation in research and development. The approach described in this paper is grounded in the idea of policy as a complex and adaptive organizational system. From the findings it was apparent that reviews of the Australian CRC Program have recognized some of its complex and dynamic properties. However, they have been limited in their capacity to translate this recognition into practical recommendations for organizational design to improve delivery on innovation, particularly in relation to the uptake of research outputs by industries such as agriculture. We propose that this is likely to reflect the bureaucratic foundations of innovation policy and the difficulties associated with changing processes and ways of managing them that have become locked in to the organizational system. The design of policy instruments to deliver innovation, such as the CRC Program, should be informed by a detailed understanding of the dynamics that are mediating between policy objectives and outcomes over time. Dynamics such as the impact of bureaucratic constraints on the flexibility of policy processes and the participants engaged in them. In the absence of this sort of understanding, dynamics that critically affect the capacity of policy instruments to deliver innovation are likely to go unidentified and left to run their own course to an unpredictable and potentially counterproductive end. While the idea of policy as a complex organizational system is well known, there remains a substantive gap in knowledge as to how thinking about policy in this way might be applied to generate practical options for improving organizational design. The analytical approach described in this paper addresses this gap in knowledge. In the absence of such approaches, the effectiveness of policy instruments such as the CRC Program, which are intended to foster innovation, will continue to be limited by deficiencies in organizational design. (Contains 2 notes.)

This paper discusses an example of community action mounted in a rural region of New South Wales, Australia, in response to proposals by the State Government to rationalise agricultural research stations operated by the Department of Primary Industries. Informed by a Foucaultian understanding of power and the concept of governmentality, neoliberalism is theorised as being the broad governmental context in which rationalisation proposals were put forward. Recent literature drawing on this theoretical perspective has emphasised that neoliberalism is enacted through a relationship of power, and is not monolithic or inevitable. Neoliberalism is always negotiated by those seeking to govern and those who are the object of such governmental actions. This paper analyses how plans to rationalise publicly funded agricultural research stations were opposed by those seeking to keep research facilities open in the case study area. The paper discusses the methods and scope of community action and, drawing on interviews, identifies a series of discourses articulated by campaigners. Non-local actors were depicted as uncaring and insensitive. In contrast, campaigners discussed the emergence of a "city-country divide" in domestic politics; the need for specialist agricultural knowledge given the region's unique geographical location; and local impacts of an economic, social and emotional nature. Central were discourses of maintaining community, tradition, and continuity in unique local places defined by their climate, biophysical environment and economy. These were "counter-geographies" that sought (successfully, it would transpire) to disrupt the state's imagined geography of a homogenous and flexible administrative space in which research services could be relocated wherever most efficient. Important too were embodied resistances to the way rural industries and people were subjected. Campaigners refused to accept preferred codes of neoliberal behaviour (particularly mobility and rationality) and instead demanded respect for their careers, families and communities. Important considerations are suggested for further research on impacts and negotiations of neoliberalism. This study particularly highlights the successes--as well as contradictions and limitations--of arguments that construct rural places as socialised, unique and unfairly treated (by governments), in opposition to metropolitan dominance and "placeless" neoliberalism.

This paper analyses whether the Australian Landcare movement complies with notions of "post-productivist rural governance." The paper argues that Landcare has been a vast improvement on previous approaches to the management of the countryside in Australia, and that it has managed to mobilise a large cross-section of stakeholders. However, the Landcare movement only depicts certain characteristics of post-productivist rural governance. Although Landcare has some elements that fit in with theorisations of social movements, it still depicts many characteristics that show its close affiliation with the state and its agencies (in particular budgetary shackles). Landcare cannot be conceptualised as a fully inclusive movement, and there is little evidence that Landcare has been able to actively shape government policy. However, Landcare has contributed towards changing environmental attitudes, which can be seen as a key precondition for the successful implementation of post-productivist rural governance structures. In particular, Landcare's innovative approach of mutual farm visits, and its emphasis on the demonstration of "best practice," has led to both an increased awareness of land degradation problems and the creation of grassroots "information networks." There has also been some success with regard to Landcare's ability to change attitudes of the wider Australian public. Two important lessons with regard to conceptualisations of post-productivist rural governance emerge. First, individual components of post-productivist rural governance may change at different times, with the attitudinal level most influenced by Landcare, while underlying socio-political productivist structures will take much longer to change. Second, the problem in being able to label Landcare (the most innovative rural programme in advanced economies) as an expression of post-productivist rural governance shows how far away rural programmes in advanced economies still may be from such new forms of governance. The results, therefore, support those advocating that post-productivism may only be a theoretical construct in the minds of academics, rather than an expression of reality on the ground.

We developed a high-resolution machine learning based surrogate model to identify a robust land-use future for Australia which meets multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals. We compared machine learning models with different architectures to pick the best performing model considering the data type, accuracy metrics, ability to handle uncertainty and computational overhead requirement. The surrogate model, called ML-LUTO Spatial, was trained on the Land-Use Trade-Offs (version 1.0) model of Australian agricultural land system sustainability. Using the surrogate model, we generated projections of land-use futures at 1.1 km resolution with 95% classification accuracy, and which far surpassed the computational benchmarks of the original model. This efficiency enabled the generation of numerous SDG-compliant (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 13, 15) future land-use maps on a standard laptop, a task previously dependent upon high-performance computing clusters. Combining these projections, we derived a single, robust land-use future and quantified the uncertainty. Our findings indicate that while agricultural land-use remains dominant in all Australian regions, extensive carbon plantings were identified in Queensland and environmental plantings played a role across the study area, reflecting a growing urgency for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and the restoration of ecosystems to support biodiversity across Australia to meet the 2050 Sustainable Development Goals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The rapid re-expansion of agriculture following a decade of drought highlighted long-standing unresolved issues in the Australian agriculture workforce. This paper investigates the career paths of existing farmhands, through a theoretical lens to increase our understanding of career pathways on agriculture. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five farmhands and eight farmers on cotton-producing agricultural farms in New South Wales, Australia. These results show there is a discernible farmhand career with attributes of the primary labour market. This career is the embodiment of the boundaryless career, with farmhands choosing agriculture and their current employer. However, the importance of the person-environment fit is an element consistent with traditional career theory. The psychological contract remains important, with elements consistent with pre- and post-globalisation. This modest first attempt at theorising the farmhand career to understand career pathways in agriculture shows promise.

Agricultural run-off in Australia's Mackay-Whitsunday region is a major source of nutrient and pesticide pollution to coastal and inshore ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef. While the effects of run-off are well documented for the region's coral and seagrass habitats, the ecological impacts on estuaries, the direct recipients of run-off, are less known. This is particularly true for fish communities, which are shaped by the physico-chemical properties of coastal waterways that vary greatly in tropical regions. To address this knowledge gap, we used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to examine fish assemblages at four locations (three estuaries and a harbour) subjected to varying levels of agricultural run-off during a wet and dry season. Pesticide and nutrient concentrations were markedly elevated during the sampled wet season with the influx of freshwater and agricultural run-off. Fish taxa richness significantly decreased in all three estuaries (F = 164.73, P = <0.001), along with pronounced changes in community composition (F = 46.68, P = 0.001) associated with environmental variables (largely salinity: 27.48% contribution to total variance). In contrast, the nearby Mackay Harbour exhibited a far more stable community structure, with no marked changes in fish assemblages observed between the sampled seasons. Among the four sampled locations, variation in fish community composition was more pronounced within the wet season (F = 2.5, P = 0.001). Notably, variation in the wet season was significantly correlated with agricultural contaminants (phosphorus: 6.25%, pesticides: 5.22%) alongside environmental variables (salinity: 5.61%, DOC: 5.57%). Historically contaminated and relatively unimpacted estuaries each demonstrated distinct fish communities, reflecting their associated catchment use. Our findings emphasise that while seasonal effects play a key role in shaping the community structure of fish in this region, agricultural contaminants are also important contributors in estuarine systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Agriculture is one of the most important and also hazardous industries in Australia. Having a sound knowledge and understanding of the circumstance of injury events is critical to developing evidence-based intervention programs. This paper aims to provide a brief historical snapshot of the development of data systems underpinning the assessment of fatal farm injury in Australia and how it has impacted on safety policy and practice. The first Australian studies used coronial information to explore agricultural fatalities, these studies reviewed paper-based records (in-situ) and collected the information for analysis and reporting. This task was laborious and costly. When the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) was established in 2000, this allowed access to coronial records online. Information provided about the deceased includes demographics, contextual details on the nature of the fatality and autopsy, toxicology, and police reports, as-well-as the coroner's finding. Information from the NCIS, along with media reports, have been used to develop the farm fatality database. This information has been used to inform the safety goals and targets for farm commodity groups, identify key risks, provide long-term benchmark indicators and underpin the development of prevention materials and training resources. Without accurate, timely, concise and relevant data about injury occurring on farms, there is no evidence to drive policy and practice or to evaluate programs of work. As such, the continued utilization and extension of the NCIS data will prove crucial to further reducing the burden of preventable fatal injuries on Australian farms.

The discovery of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was an important finding in Australian science, involving a self-educated field naturalist and a small team of plant pathologists who had to work in relative academic isolation and with inadequate glasshouse facilities. After its discovery in Melbourne in 1915, TSWV rapidly spread throughout Australia and by 1929, it posed an existential threat to the tomato industry. To address this problem, a joint project between the Waite Agricultural Research Institute and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was initiated in 1926. This collaboration, led by University of Adelaide plant pathologist Geoffrey Samuel, was initially turbulent but ultimately highly productive. Within an eight-year period, significant advances were made in understanding the aetiology of the disease, particularly by establishing that it was caused by a thrips-transmitted virus. Aspects of the epidemiology and control of the virus were also elucidated such as investigating alternative hosts of the virus. This research was made possible through substantial improvements in mechanical inoculation techniques. Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most economically important viruses in the world. Before it became a global problem, it devastated tomato crops in Australia. This paper describes how TSWV was identified and biologically characterised by Australian scientists at a time when few techniques existed to detect the virus. It is a remarkable story of human endeavour by a small team of people working in academic isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regenerative agriculture is an alternative approach to farming that has been gaining traction and interest among farmers due to its potential to reduce input costs, improve soil health, and increase the resilience of farming systems. This paper undertakes a practice-based analysis of farmers, applying a lens of regenerative agriculture. Surveys were developed as a part of a broader project using an established methodological framework. Topics were developed and adapted with input from local stakeholders before being mailed out to three farming regions across Australia (the Western Australian Wheatbelt, the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and Central West New South Wales). The research clustered farmers into two groups: those who are using best-practices that fall inside the scope of regenerative agriculture, and those who are not. The similarities and differences in farmer attributes, as well as self-reported knowledge levels and information sources used by each group are explored. Results indicate that a belief in anthropogenic climate change may be one of the primary divides between the two groups, and therefore a possible driver of best-practice implementation. The findings provide insight into perceptions of regenerative agriculture for Australian farmers, and may assist with knowledge dissemination amongst those managing our environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr Hanabeth Luke reports financial support was provided by Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC). Mathew Alexanderson reports financial support was provided by Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC)., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Modern agriculture is underpinned by a colonial, industrial and productivist discourse. Agricultural practices inspired by this discourse have fed billions but degraded socio-ecological systems. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is a prominent alternative seeking to transform food production and repair ecosystems. This paper proposes that RA discourse is supported by a shared storyline binding diverse actors and discourses together—a discourse coalition. Consequently, multiple discourses contribute to the over-arching discourse of RA. A discourse analysis was conducted on texts from ninety-six organisations and complimented by twenty-two interviews in Australia and the USA. This analysis identified nine discourses contributing to RA discourse: Restoration for Profit; Big Picture Holism; Regenerative Organic; Regrarian Permaculture; Regenerative Cultures; Deep Holism; First Nations; Agroecology and Food Sovereignty; and Subtle Energies. This paper describes and examines these component discourses and discusses tensions that may make RA vulnerable to co-optation and greenwashing, diluting its transformative potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L.) is periodically raised as an alternative perennial pasture legume for temperate regions of Australia. Its tolerance of waterlogging is widely known, yet its ability to persist through periods of soil moisture deficit is often understated. Other desirable characteristics include its stoloniferous growth habit and tolerance of mildly saline conditions. Only four strawberry clover cultivars have been registered in Australia, and the most popular, cv. Palestine, is a direct introduction, released in 1938 and first certified in 1951. Furthermore, strawberry clover's distribution has largely been confined to niche environments, particularly waterlogged and saline areas. This paper reviews the taxonomy and breeding system, morphology, distribution and ecology, and subsequent transfer of strawberry clover to Australia. It reviews and maps the suitability of strawberry clover for perennial pasture systems in the medium–-high rainfall and irrigated temperate zones of Australia, with reference to future climates. The paper also highlights the breeding focus, commercialisation and marketing required to supersede cv. Palestine and lists the germplasm available in the Australian Pastures Genebank, with origins. We conclude that, although strawberry clover is unlikely to become a dominant perennial pasture legume species in Australia, it could be used in a wider range of environments than just those affected by salinity and/or waterlogging stress. Strawberry clover has been suggested as an alternative perennial pasture legume for temperate regions of Australia. We review its taxonomy, morphology, native distribution and subsequent transfer to Australia. We map the suitability of strawberry clover for perennial pasture systems, with reference to future climates, and identify future research foci. Strawberry clover is unlikely to become a dominant pasture legume species in Australia but could be used in a wider range of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present article tracks the development of the Australian National Food Plan as a 'whole of government' food policy that aimed to integrate elements of nutrition and sustainability alongside economic objectives.Design: The article uses policy analysis to explore the processes of consultation and stakeholder involvement in the development of the National Food Plan, focusing on actors from the sectors of industry, civil society and government. Existing documentation and submissions to the Plan were used as data sources. Models of health policy analysis and policy streams were employed to analyse policy development processes.Setting: Australia.Subjects: Australian food policy stakeholders.Results: The development of the Plan was influenced by powerful industry groups and stakeholder engagement by the lead ministry favoured the involvement of actors representing the food and agriculture industries. Public health nutrition and civil society relied on traditional methods of policy influence, and the public health nutrition movement failed to develop a unified cross-sector alliance, while the private sector engaged in different ways and presented a united front. The National Food Plan failed to deliver an integrated food policy for Australia. Nutrition and sustainability were effectively sidelined due to the focus on global food production and positioning Australia as a food 'superpower' that could take advantage of the anticipated 'dining boom' as incomes rose in the Asia-Pacific region.Conclusions: New forms of industry influence are emerging in the food policy arena and public health nutrition will need to adopt new approaches to influencing public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 150 years Australia has exported bulk, undifferentiated, commodities such as wool, wheat, meat and sugar to the UK and more recently to Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. It is estimated that, each year, Australia's farming system feeds a domestic population of some 22 million people, while exporting enough food to feed another 40 million. With the Australian population expected to double in the next 40 years, and with the anticipated growth in the world's population to reach a level of some 9 billion (from its present level of 7 billion) in the same period, there are strong incentives for an expansion of food production in Australia. Neoliberal settings are encouraging this expansion at the same time as they are facilitating importation of foods, higher levels of foreign direct investment and the commoditisation of resources (such as water). Yet, expansion in food production--and in an era of climate change--will continue to compromise the environment. After discussing Australia's neoliberal framework and its relation to farming, this paper outlines how Australia is attempting to address the issue of food security. It argues that productivist farming approaches that are favoured by both industry and government are proving incapable of bringing about long-term production outcomes that will guarantee national food security.

Within the now extensive recent literature on cultures of nature, agriculture has received less attention than might have been expected given its threshold role in transforming human relations with the earth and with plants and animals. The concept and practice of agriculture can be understood as central to the emergence and maintenance of the culture/nature dichotomy within Western thought and practice. In this paper we use the comparative cases of Sweden and Australia to examine the differential and contingent positioning of agriculture with respect to that which is understood as nature. Broadly speaking, some parts of agriculture are understood to belong to nature in Sweden through a long history. This is not the case in Australia, where the short agricultural history is positioned in contrast to nature. This affects the way in which biodiversity and environmental protection takes place--in Sweden as part of farming,--in Australia in spite of it. We argue that these cultural differences have been more important than generally recognised in debates over multifunctional agriculture. We discuss the environmental management implications of the two different models in a context made more dynamic by climate change.

Increasingly, partnerships and other cooperative forms of governance are common-place in addressing problems of environmental management in rural landscapes. These forms of governance are multi-dimensional in the policy instruments employed; the make-up of actors; and, the types of rationalities that actors use to debate the problem and proposed solutions. This paper pursues the question of how different modes of social action, represented in argumentative claims of participants, influence social coordination in these governance arenas. An empirical study is presented of agri-environmental governance in Australia where actors debate planning and policy initiatives to reduce diffuse water quality impacts from farms on the adjacent Great Barrier Reef. Forester's conceptualisation of practical social action which locates communicative action in the "real world" of interest-based planning contexts, is used as an analytical frame to identify: (i) the type of claims made by governments, farmer groups and other actors in argumentation; (ii) the claims association with communicative, strategic and instrumental modes of action; and, (iii) their consequence for social coordination in formation and maintenance of inclusive, legitimate and viable forms of governing. The study finds that the interconnected character of claims made by actors, and the ready switching between modes of action observed, point to a situated and dynamic expression of rationality within these contested and prolonged debates on how to legitimately and effectively govern rural environments. (Contains 1 table.)

In recent years, a "cultural turn" in the study of class has resulted in a rich body of work detailing the ways in which class advantage and disadvantage are emotionally inscribed and embodied in educational settings. To date, however, much of this literature has focused on the urban sphere. In order to address this gap in the literature, this paper focuses on the affective evaluations made by teachers employed in rural and remote Australian schools of students' families, bodies, expectations and practices. The central argument is that moral ascriptions of class by the teachers are powerfully shaped by dominant socio-cultural constructions of rurality that equate "the rural" with agriculture. (Contains 3 notes.)

The liberalisation of agricultural trade is strongly contested as an international policy project. In the context of the current World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha trade round, concerns revolve around the implications of freer trade for rural livelihoods and environments. Analysis of this complex and morally charged issue offers important insights into the nature of resistance to the neoliberal agenda. This resistance has been expressed in terms of perceived threats to the "multifunctionality" of agriculture and its ability to provide public environmental and social benefits. We focus specifically on Australia and the European Union (EU), key players in the WTO process but diametrically opposed in their embrace of, or resistance to, agricultural neoliberalisation. While the EU has sought to maintain trade barriers in order to protect both marginal areas and the market advantages derived from a heavily-subsidised, productivist agriculture, Australia relies on "competitive productivism"--unsubsidised, highly productive agriculture--to win markets. There is nevertheless evidence that the compatibility of market rule with agri-environmental (and, to a lesser extent, social) sustainability is being contested in both Australia and the EU, particularly at the regional scale. The nature and terms of this contestation are different, however, given the radically divergent macro-economic and socio-political contexts in which it is being framed. The debate about the socio-environmental implications of market opening within the agriculturally protectionist environment of the EU is largely anticipatory and risk-averting, while in the already market-exposed Australian context it is increasingly compensatory and harm-minimising. In this paper, we argue that neoliberalisation as a policy agenda is reshaped in different states and regions through processes of resistance and accommodation arising from particular geographical, historical, political and institutional contexts, and as a response to crises.

This paper reports research on the impact of introducing a range of extension approaches into the wool-growing regions of Tasmania Australia to meet an emerging knowledge and skills gap in the sector. The wool-growing industry of the state has experienced minimal government extension support for over 15 years. There is a failure in both private and public-sector extension services in meeting the current collective needs of the industry. A new industry funded initiative funded by the grower body Australian Wool Innovation Ltd and hosted with the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TIAR), an arm of the University of Tasmania, is filling this void. The approaches included the establishment of grower groups, workshops, demonstrations and newsletters in a coordinated extension programme. The research interest lay in learning of the value of these different approaches in developing and maintaining sustainable sheep and wool production systems in the state. The research methodology involved evaluating change according to Bennett's hierarchy. Techniques used included surveys of participants from respective industry segments and analysis of relevant secondary information and data. Findings indicate that the programme has affected substantial on-ground changes in stock and property management by businesses involved. There was evidence of group members taking a more strategic view of their businesses from involvement in the programme. Group members (65%), industry active (53%) and service sector (65%) survey respondents indicated that the biggest outcomes of their involvement were improved technical or management skills. Members of groups and service-sector respondents saw even more impact (70%) on improved information seeking skills. The interactive and passive extension methodologies employed in this initiative have positioned the programme as a catalyst for change amongst producers, and have served as a mechanism to fill a serious information vacuum in the industry. They also appear to have realised positive social capital outcomes within the grower community during the difficult circumstances of sustained drought. Finally, the segmentation of the extension target audience appears to be paying dividends in terms of programme delivery and resource allocation. (Contains 3 tables.)

Ideals of productivist agriculture in the Western world have faded as the unintended consequences of intensive agriculture and pastoralism have contributed to rural decline and environmental problems. In Norway and Australia, there has been an increasing acceptance of the equal importance of social and environmental sustainability as well as economic sustainability. Alongside this shift is a belief that primary production needs to move away from an intensive, productivist-based agriculture to one that may be defined as post-productivist. In this paper, we argue that the dualism of productivism and post-productivism as concepts on agricultural policy regimes are too simplistic and discuss whether multifunctional agriculture is a better concept for a comparison of rural primary production at two extreme points of the scale, the market-oriented, liberalistic Australian agriculture and the market-protected small-scale Norwegian agriculture. We argue that multifunctionality in Australia rates relatively weakly as an ideology or policy and even less as a discourse or practice and hence is situated toward a "weak" end of a continuum of a level of multifunctional agriculture. In Norwegian agriculture, multifunctional agriculture has thrived within a protectionist setting with the support of the public, the state and agricultural actors. In this sense it is very clearly a policy, practice and discourse that aims to preserve and conserve rural spaces, the cultural landscape, the farming way of life and food safety. Norway is as such situated toward a "strong" end of a continuum of a level of multifunctional agriculture.

This paper examines the role of certification in alternative agri-food networks (AAFNs), which are "in the process" of building markets for their produce outside conventional supply chains. Drawing upon recent writing on "embeddedness", we argue that certification provides an important focus for exploring the relationship and tensions between horizontal and vertical dimensions of embedding processes, and thereby understanding the complexities of agri-environmental governance. Through a case study of a group of beef farmers in south-eastern Australia, we investigate how one type of process-based certification--Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)--was used as the basis for constructing an AAFN and selling a premium environmentally certified product. The case study shows that environmental certification had mixed results for this AAFN. For instance, while it represented a useful means of building consumer trust, considerable time and effort was required by producers to target and build a market for the certified product. Producers initially had little to gain financially from a third-party-certified EMS. However, despite the current lack of broad consumer demand for non-organic environmentally certified products, the farmers we interviewed did not reject the EMS process entirely--they used it to realise a range of non-monetary personal and community benefits. We conclude that certification can be a useful strategy for those AAFNs in the process of expanding beyond direct marketing. Nevertheless, the lack of consumer understanding and demand means that certification may be adapted and combined with other producer strategies to meet personal and societal expectations regarding land stewardship.

Managing the competing interests of productivity growth, environmental concerns, landscape change and societal expectations presents challenges for agricultural industries. Innovation projects supporting knowledge development to address these challenges often involve partnerships with commercial farms, a methodology which promises much but has inherent challenges as well. This paper will examine the requirements of learning partnerships between farmers, research and extension (as members of innovation projects) to address conditions of complexity. We review designs for the involvement of commercial farms in innovation projects and explore the conditions for effective learning partnerships using two case studies from the Australian dairy industry. Learning partnerships with commercial farms can contribute to addressing the conditions of complexity faced by agricultural industries. Our analysis suggests that the conditions for effective learning partnerships involve the active negotiation of learning roles between farmers, researchers and advisors. This requires a unique form of facilitation to support the learning environment and use of learning tools, assisting project teams to act on complex issues. As learning partners, commercial farms in innovation projects are an effective response to the challenges of complexity in agricultural innovation. (Contains 1 figure.)

While the science community continues to ask how its responsibility to society needs to be expressed in the modern world, higher education grapples with issues of its own, including issues embroiled in the perennial tug-of-war between principle and economic pragmatism. In this paper, the authors give an account of the origins and development of a new undergraduate course in "ecological agriculture" at a regional Australian university campus. In this story, the tug-of-war is dragged strongly back to central issues of purpose and philosophy. Supplementary pragmatic information included are summaries from the feedback from students who have undergone the course and members of the relevant industry obtained through the course evaluations done in the years 2002-2005; moreover, a brief explanation as to how the obstacles faced were met in launching the programme has also been included. Course aims and outcomes are appended. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables and 2 notes.)

Lifelong learning has been linked by policymakers to economic and social wellbeing. This paper introduces the concept of training brokerage as an efficient way of meeting the needs of learners, industry and education and training providers. It presents findings from a study of the features, processes and outcomes of training brokerage arrangements within the Australian agricultural and natural resource management sectors. The purpose of the study was to identify and promote effective brokerage arrangements and models. The study used multi-method, multi-site techniques, comprising a telephone survey, case studies of good broking practice and stakeholder participation through workshops and a reference group. Training brokers act as facilitators or intermediaries in identifying and matching training needs and opportunities. They have close links with industry, and extensive networks that include reputable training providers. Brokers work with others to identify training needs and engage participants, and to identify, negotiate and plan appropriate training. Evaluation and further training are a key part of the process. Effective broking activity is underpinned by a series of ten generic principles. Brokerage has implications for the agricultural sector in developed and developing countries, in terms of improving the match of training provision to training needs, communication, coordination and collaboration across regions and industries. It also has broader implications for facilitating participation in client-driven lifelong learning, particularly for disenfranchised learners. (Contains 2 notes.)

Against a background of declining employment in agriculture, a mobile workforce plays a crucial role in meeting seasonal labour demand in Australia. The dynamics of this labour force have received surprisingly little attention. We situate seasonal migration within the rising diversity of present-day mobility, and capture images of its early history in Australia. Statistical and documentary sources provide a basis to illustrate patterns of demand for seasonal labour and estimate the size of the workforce. Drawing on fieldwork in three case study regions of Queensland, we then seek to establish the composition of the seasonal workforce, identify their motives for undertaking seasonal work, and discover their harvest trails. Combining these data generates a typology that distinguishes key groups. Our results point to a fall in the numbers of Permanent Itinerants compensated by a sharp rise in Retirees and Working Holiday Makers from Overseas, each with distinctive spatial circuits. We argue that consumption motives play a growing role in the dynamics of seasonal labour mobility, and identify an emerging organisational apparatus that shapes and controls the industry. Drawing on the experience of other developed countries with more open labour markets, we anticipate continuing transformation in seasonal labour dynamics.

This paper explores teacher perceptions of agriculture and the subsequent influence of these perceptions on student career pursual in the sector. This quantitative study used a post-workshop survey to evaluate 185 Technology Mandatory teachers' knowledge, experience and perceptions of the agricultural sector. Participant's connection to agriculture was related to their childhood and current school locations. Childhood upbringing in a town or rural setting also impacted participants having an agriculture-related qualification, the likelihood of encouraging students to consider a career in agriculture, and an increased understanding of the job opportunities in the sector. This study highlights the importance of direct experiences with agriculture to increase teacher knowledge and perception of the sector and to encourage agriculture as a potential career for students, particularly if a teacher's childhood or school location is in a major city. The findings of this research provide preliminary evidence that formative learning experiences, exposure and education has an impact on perceptions of agriculture and these in turn are associated with teacher endorsement of careers in this area to their students. There are limited studies that highlight the current perceptions of teachers in Australia about agriculture as a career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper aims to create a profitable and resilient Australian agriculture sector. In doing so, the White Paper emphasises farmers’ individual responses to the structural problems which have undermined farmers’ profitability, such as consolidated commodities markets. In particular, the White Paper recommends that farmers shape their farming practice to make their farms more attractive to private investors. This is presented as a normal response to farm profitability concerns. Farms are portrayed as investment targets and securing investment is framed as an essential skill of the modern farmer. To understand how this discursive construction has been made possible, this article develops a genealogical analysis of changing constructions of farmers, farming and of the role of the State. This research reveals the subtle discursive shifts which have helped shift responsibility for farming, from the State, to the self-reliant individual, and most recently, towards the private sector. Whereas the construct of the self-reliant, independent farmer has been used to facilitate deregulation of agricultural industries, this recent shift in power towards the private sector may potentially undermine farmers’ autonomy and increase dependence on private sector investment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents arguments for and against the theory and practice of genetic engineering. Considers the food labeling controversy and general ethical issues related to genetic engineering. (Author/WRM)

The crop-growing region of Western Australia characterized by a Mediterranean-type climate is projected to become warmer and drier. Appropriate selection of crop sequences will be of importance to cope with these climatic changes for this largest grain-producing region of Australia. Through linking a widely used crop model (APSIM), 26 General Circulation Models (GCMs) with one Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP585) and economic analysis, we explored how the climate change would affect dryland wheat cropping and whether/how long fallow (the practice of leaving a field out of production for an entire growing season) could be integrated into wheat cropping system in Western Australia. The potential adaptation of long fallow into wheat system was assessed with four fixed rotations (fallow-wheat, fallow-wheat-wheat, fallow-wheat-wheat-wheat, and fallow-wheat-wheat-wheat-wheat) and four flexible sowing rule-based rotations (the land was fallowed if sowing rule was not met), compared with continuous wheat. The simulation results at four representing locations show that climate change would have negative impacts on both yield and economic return of continuous wheat cropping in Western Australia. Wheat after fallow out-yielded and out-profited wheat after wheat under future climate. But integrating fallow into wheat cropping systems with the above fixed rotations would lead to yield and economic loss. By contrast, cropping systems in which fallowing took place when sowing condition could not be met at a certain time would achieve comparable yield and economic return to continuous wheat, with wheat yield being only 5 % less than continuous wheat and the gross margin being $12 ha -1 more than continuous wheat averaged across locations. We highlight strategic integration of long fallow into cropping system in a dryland Mediterranean-type environment would have a great potential to cope with future climate change. These findings can be extended into other Mediterranean-type cropping regions in Australia and beyond., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Farmers face a range of factors that negatively influence their mental health and suicide risk, yet have limited access to appropriate support. Behavioural activation (BA) is an evidence-based therapy that can be effectively delivered by nonclinical workers. Working with members of farming communities to deliver BA to their peers has the potential to overcome many well-established barriers to mental health help-seeking and improve outcomes for this at-risk group., Objective: This paper describes the findings of a co-design phase informing the development of a peer (farmer)-led approach for delivering BA for farmers living with depression or low mood., Design: This qualitative study used a co-design approach involving members of the target community. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using Thematic Analysis and the Framework approach., Findings: Ten online focus groups with 22 participants were held over 3 months. Four overarching, interlinked themes were identified: (i) filling the gap in rural mental health support; (ii) alignment with the farming context-tailoring how, where and when we engage about mental health; (iii) the 'messenger' is as important as the message; and (iv) sustainability, governance and support., Discussion: Findings suggest BA could be a contextually appropriate model of support for the farming community-given its practical and solution-focused approach-and could help improve access to support. Having peer workers deliver the intervention was viewed as appropriate. Ensuring governance structures are developed to support peers to deliver the intervention will be essential to facilitate effectiveness, safety and sustainability., Conclusion: Insights gained through co-design have been critical to the success of developing this new model of support for members of farming communities experiencing depression or low mood., (© 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.)

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Globally, there is a recognized need for widespread restoration of coastal wetlands. Despite this recognition, progress in many places has been slow, for reasons including legal and policy barriers. In Australia many of these legal barriers have been overcome in the development of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative ‐ Tidal Restoration of Blue Carbon Ecosystems) Methodology Determination 2022, which allows for certain coastal restoration projects to be accredited and ultimately receive Australian Carbon Credit Units. This paper describes the new methodology, outlines the key legal barriers which had to be addressed in its development, and analyzes the legal solutions utilized. It concludes with some general observations for fucoastal wetland restoration projects. Despite the jurisdictional focus on Australia, it is anticipated that these lessons will be of broader relevance to other countries grappling with restoration projects in the intertidal zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum ; ARG) is a major weed of commercial significance globally, including no-till wheat-based production systems in south-eastern Australia. Aims: To compare the cost-effectiveness of different crop sequences and intensities of weed management to control ARG in rainfed grain production. Methods: Two on-farm studies in southern New South Wales, Australia, compared the effect of combinations of 3-year crop-sequence options (continuous wheat, 1- or 2-years of break crops), conservative or aggressive weed-control measures, hay cuts, legume brown manure (BM), and/or weed-free winter fallow on in-crop ARG infestations and soil seedbanks. Gross margins were calculated for each combination of treatments to compare system economic performance. Key results: Double-breaks consisting of two consecutive broadleaf crops, or canola–cereal hay, were frequently the most profitable and effective ARG control strategies. Single canola or lupin crops, BM, cereal hay, and fallow all significantly reduced subsequent in-crop ARG and seedbank numbers compared with continuous wheat. Aggressive in-crop control measures in wheat were more expensive than those applied to break crops. Gains in ARG control could be lost by a single year of poor weed control. Conclusions: High levels of control (>95%) over three consecutive seasons are required to reduce ARG seedbanks, and this is most cost-effectively achieved with diverse crop sequences. Implications: Farmers with high populations of ARG can reduce seedbanks by growing three crops sequentially that achieve complete weed seed control. This must be followed with ongoing high levels of control in subsequent years to keep ARG seedbanks low. The paper reports the outcomes of two on-farm experiments that aimed to identify the most cost-effective strategies to control herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass in rainfed, no-till, wheat-based farming systems in southern NSW. The studies linked efficacy of annual ryegrass control with the relative profitability of combinations of different crop sequences and agronomic management. The results showed that three consecutive years of >95% weed control by using diverse crops are required to cost-effectively reduce annual ryegrass seedbanks in soil to manageable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent deployment of new satellite-based hyperspectral imaging sensors, along with advances in classification methods, has enhanced the acquisition of information on the spatiotemporal patterns of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC).. With this context, the study presented in this paper seeks to assess the combined utilization of the Pixxel's technology demonstrator hyperspectral satellite mission with the Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) machine learning classifiers for LULC mapping in an agricultural area located in Queensland, Australia. Accuracy assessment of the resulting LULC maps has been done based on relevant classification accuracy metrics. It has been observed that SVMs outperformed RF in terms of both overall classification and urban vegetation cover mapping accuracy. An overall accuracy of 92.34% with kappa of 0.90 was reported for the SVMs' results, whereas for RF, the accuracy was 89.65% with 0.89 kappa, respectively. Both classifiers produced similar results for the classes of mango tree and sugarcane crops, whereas minor differences were observed in the depiction of water bodies and artificial surfaces. Our study findings provide insightful perspectives on the potential of Pixxel datasets for delineating the spatiotemporal distribution of LULC in agricultural landscapes, showcasing Pixxel's hyperspectral sensors' promising potential in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian dryland grain-cropping landscape occupies 60 Mha. The broader agricultural sector (farmers and agronomic advisors, grain handlers, commodity forecasters, input suppliers, insurance providers) required information at many spatial and temporal scales. Temporal scales included hindcasts, nowcasts and forecasts, at spatial scales ranging from sub-field to the continent. International crop-monitoring systems could not service the need of local industry for digital information on crop production estimates. Therefore, we combined a broad suite of satellite-based crop-mapping, crop-modelling and data-delivery techniques to create an integrated analytics system (Graincast™) that covers the Australian cropping landscape. In parallel with technical developments, a set of user requirements was identified through a human-centred design process, resulting in an end-product that delivered a viable crop-monitoring service to industry. This integrated analytics solution can now produce crop information at scale and on demand and can deliver the output via an application programming interface. The technology was designed to underpin digital agriculture developments for Australia. End-users are now using crop-monitoring data for operational purposes, and we argue that a vertically integrated data supply chain is required to develop crop-monitoring technology further. The Graincast™ suite of tools was developed to monitor crop productivity in near real-time across the Australian landscape. Four separate tools were created: the C-Crop model, which monitors crop yields with satellite; CropID, which monitors the crop species and areas of production; the Graincast™ app, which provides field-scale estimates of crop production and soil-water use; and Field Boundaries (ePaddocks), which identifies every cropped field across the landscape. The paper describes the design process, including data acquisition, machine learning, testing, validation, human-centred design and the delivery of outputs to end-users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant portion of on-farm deaths and injuries in Australia occur among young people working on the farm. Since most Australian farms are still family owned and operated, young people are an integral part of everyday operations and the farm is a place where these young people live, work and play. This paper describes how the international Gear Up for Ag Health and Safety™ program, originally developed in North America, was further developed for a younger Australian audience (ages 12-19) enrolled in agricultural programs at secondary or vocational schools. In addition, we share insight on demographics, self-reported farm safety behaviours, and the most common farm tasks being performed by program participants utilising a pre-survey originally developed for program customisation. Of particular importance were the most common farming tasks reported by this group. The most common tasks performed on Australian farms included a large variety of vehicle use (farm vehicles, motorbikes, and quadbikes) and handling livestock. Females reported operating vehicles and other farm equipment at the same rates as males. Males were more likely to be working with large heavy machinery and driving trucks, while females were more likely to be working with livestock and using horses for stockwork. Both males and females reported low use of PPE and poor safety habits. In future Australian programs, it will be important to address the conspicuous use of motor vehicles, quadbikes, motor bikes and machinery at early ages, and to target gender-specific tasks to reduce risks on the farm., Competing Interests: Authors JG, DS, and CS were employed by Ag Health and Safety Alliance. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Brumby, Hatherell, Fitzgerald, Cotton, Semmens, Cunningham, Gibbs, Sullivan and Sheridan.)

Objective: Farmers are prone to poor well‐being and are at higher risks of suicide than the general population. The aim of this study was to understand whether the negative impact of daily stressors on Australian farmers' well‐being could be buffered through a strong internal locus of control – a strong sense of control over what happens in life. Methods: Australian farmers self‐reported their well‐being, daily stress, and locus of control. Design: Cross‐sectional via pen‐and‐paper survey. Setting: Participants completed the surveys at the beginning of agricultural management training courses. Participants: Australian farmers (N = 129, M age = 39 ± 12 years, 54.7% male). Main Outcome Measures Internal and external locus of control, daily stress, and subjective well‐being. Results: More daily stressors were associated to poorer well‐being, regardless of external locus of control; however, farmers with a stronger internal locus of control were buffered from the negative impacts of daily stressors. That is, daily stressors were not significantly associated with well‐being for farmers with a strong internal locus of control. Conclusions: Internal locus of control may be a significant factor in supporting good well‐being for farmers. Further research should investigate how to enhance internal locus of control amongst this population. It may be that interventions to enhance internal locus of control in farmers could improve their well‐being and productivity, good outcomes for the individual farmers, and global society overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares present agriculture practices to permaculture farming techniques, presents a historical perspective of permaculture and where these techniques are being successfully practiced around the world. Inserts (vignettes) enumerate the principles of permaculture and the background of Bill Mollison who conceptualized this farming practice. (MCO)

Objective: To review and synthesise research related to the ageing farming workforce influence on the health and sustainability of agricultural communities. Design: Using the PRISMA framework as a guide, the CINHAL and Medline databases were searched. Search 1 used the key search terms of ageing OR aging, farm*, workforce. Search 2 used health, sustainability and 'agricultural OR farm communit*. Search 3 combined Searches 1 and 2. Search 4 followed journal citations to identify other relevant articles. A process of narrative synthesis was applied to the results through the prism of rural social capital that described the current state of knowledge and understanding under four themes. Result: Database searches and searching of citations identified 16 contemporary articles. Seven of the papers were from Australia, and the balance from five other high‐income countries. The four that themes emerged are: vulnerabilities of ageing farmers; economic and climatic drivers; social capital and sustainability; and integrative strategies, that might offer a way forward. Conclusion: Integrating these forces of nature, economics and sociology to address the ageing farming workforce and the associated health and sustainability of agricultural communities remains a major challenge for researchers, governments, the agricultural sector and rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies concepts from the sociological literature on 'practices of care' to investigate why flexibility is important for farmers in the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) principles, and, crucially, how farmers integrate CA principles into their existing practices. Drawing on qualitative data from six mixed farming regions in South Eastern Australia, the paper discusses how a specific dimension of CA - crop residue retention - is integrated in the context of biophysical and material challenges, and practices of stubble burning. Farmers viewed burning as increasingly incompatible with their desire to be recognised as good land managers. Yet, shifting to full crop residue retention was perceived as posing challenges for their farming system and compromising farmers' capacity to manage seasonal variations in pests, weeds and crop residue loads. As a consequence, farmers used burning as a key practice of care to deal in a flexible way with an uncertain and variable farming environment, and to make crop residue retention workable in the context of their farming system. In concluding, the paper argues that the significance of flexibility in farm-level integration of CA principles requires a shift in analytical focus from adoption barriers to practices of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]