Globalisation, Sustaining Rural Livelihoods and Organics: The Impacts of the Transformation in the Production and Consumption of Organic Foods. The production and consumption of organic foodstuffs has been transformed in recent years, from a focus on small-scale production for local consumption to a global industry dominated by large agribusiness companies and supermarkets. This not only raises questions about the role of organic agriculture in achieving sustainable development in Australia and ....Globalisation, Sustaining Rural Livelihoods and Organics: The Impacts of the Transformation in the Production and Consumption of Organic Foods. The production and consumption of organic foodstuffs has been transformed in recent years, from a focus on small-scale production for local consumption to a global industry dominated by large agribusiness companies and supermarkets. This not only raises questions about the role of organic agriculture in achieving sustainable development in Australia and elsewhere, but is also creating relationships of dependency within the less developed world which may well reduce food security and make the problem of feeding growing populations more difficult. This study seeks to develop a range of policy alternatives in order to enhance sustainability through organic farming.Read moreRead less
From Productivism to Multifunctionality? Agri-environmental Governance in Australia and the United Kingdom. This project is concerned with the policy debate surrounding the governance of farming and natural resource management. It addresses the question of whether Australia can combine a liberalised economy with a shift from highly intensive, 'productivist' agriculture towards more sustainable land management and viable rural communities. The research will contribute to an understanding of the c ....From Productivism to Multifunctionality? Agri-environmental Governance in Australia and the United Kingdom. This project is concerned with the policy debate surrounding the governance of farming and natural resource management. It addresses the question of whether Australia can combine a liberalised economy with a shift from highly intensive, 'productivist' agriculture towards more sustainable land management and viable rural communities. The research will contribute to an understanding of the concept of 'multifunctionality', which has policy implications for agriculture, trade and international relations.Read moreRead less
Regulation and Governance of Agricultural Biotechnology: GMOs in Australia and the United Kingdom. Agricultural biotechnology has won Australian government support for its economic development potential but has associated ethical, consumer and environmental risks. The proposed research will contribute to the important task of successfully negotiating agricultural biotechnology futures through a comprehensive analysis of policy and regulatory structures, and stakeholder perceptions of impacts on ....Regulation and Governance of Agricultural Biotechnology: GMOs in Australia and the United Kingdom. Agricultural biotechnology has won Australian government support for its economic development potential but has associated ethical, consumer and environmental risks. The proposed research will contribute to the important task of successfully negotiating agricultural biotechnology futures through a comprehensive analysis of policy and regulatory structures, and stakeholder perceptions of impacts on environmental and economic sustainability. A comparison with the UK provides a valuable point of reference in evaluating policy and regulatory responses. Since the UK is a significant market for Australian produce, the outlook of UK consumers and the regulatory response of the government are highly relevant to Australian policy decisions.Read moreRead less
Sustainable farming in Australia: Market instruments for improved land management. Sustainable farming has become a national priority. As climate change and global economic pressures increase the problems facing rural areas, Australian governments have attempted to combine more sustainable land management with a competitive agricultural sector. Several policy instruments using market incentives have been proposed to manage the competing demands of farm viability and environmental sustainability. ....Sustainable farming in Australia: Market instruments for improved land management. Sustainable farming has become a national priority. As climate change and global economic pressures increase the problems facing rural areas, Australian governments have attempted to combine more sustainable land management with a competitive agricultural sector. Several policy instruments using market incentives have been proposed to manage the competing demands of farm viability and environmental sustainability. This project will examine the responses of beef, dairy and grain farmers to these initiatives and their potential for addressing pressing environmental issues. The research will make a vital contribution to the design of policies for the future of farming, resilient rural communities and an environmentally sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Mechanistic and probabilistic approaches to assessing the impact of pesticide mixtures in Australian waterways. This project will provide vital information on the impacts of pesticide mixtures in Australian waterways and will also provide information with respect to safe levels of pesticides for water quality management. This information will be used to develop scientifically sound management policies and provide advice to regulatory authorities such as the NSW Department of Environment and Cons ....Mechanistic and probabilistic approaches to assessing the impact of pesticide mixtures in Australian waterways. This project will provide vital information on the impacts of pesticide mixtures in Australian waterways and will also provide information with respect to safe levels of pesticides for water quality management. This information will be used to develop scientifically sound management policies and provide advice to regulatory authorities such as the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation and the Federal Department of Environment and Heritage. Specifically the results will contribute to ensuring the use of pesticides in market gardens close to Sydney does not threaten the health of local rivers. Read moreRead less
Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is s ....Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is significant in identifying key socio-economic and environmental factors that need to be considered in developing regional policy approaches to sustainable agricultural development. Outcomes will include better uptake of environmental measures by graziers and policy advice to government and industry on sustainable development options.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354558
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Reimagining the ecosocial sustainability of the Murray-Darling Basin. Urgent work is required to prevent the ecological, social and economic collapse of the Murray-Darling Basin. Ecosocial sustainability, as a long-term goal for the Murray-Darling, requires dealing with complex patterns of settlement, production, consumption and governance. Traditional disciplines are too narrowly defined to deal with this complexity. This research network will advance Australia's interdisciplinary research on s ....Reimagining the ecosocial sustainability of the Murray-Darling Basin. Urgent work is required to prevent the ecological, social and economic collapse of the Murray-Darling Basin. Ecosocial sustainability, as a long-term goal for the Murray-Darling, requires dealing with complex patterns of settlement, production, consumption and governance. Traditional disciplines are too narrowly defined to deal with this complexity. This research network will advance Australia's interdisciplinary research on sustainability of the Murray-Darling by creatively bringing into dialogue notable groups of scholars whose work traverses the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. This network will integrate new interdisciplinary research with bold policy analysis and creative representations, to build informed public engagement.Read moreRead less