IN THIS ISSUE:
Doing business with agribusiness. A report for the CVBC gives clues to the role of agribusiness in building capacity, its clients and issues for the future.

National accreditation scheme supported by industry. This recently-published CVCB report has identified a significant demand for a national accreditation scheme for professional advisers and consultants to the agricultural, natural resource management and related sectors.

Federal parliament looks at rural skills. The CVCB has made a submission to a federal Parliamentary Committee currently investigating the level of rural skills training, research and information services in rural areas.

L&WA calls for high innovation R&D projects. Land & Water Australia is calling for highly innovative R&D projects to address critical and emerging issues and opportunities for achieving the sustainable use and management of Australia's natural resources. 

Three new producer group programs for woolgrowers. Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) has recently launched new producer group programs in NSW, WA and Queensland that are designed to provide support and expertise for woolgrowers to increase the productivity and profitability of their wool businesses.

Youth capacity building conference in Adelaide.  Registrations both for schools who want to present and schools who wish to simply attend this river health conference are now open. 

For the diary. APEN is giving advance notice of its international conference, to be held in March next year. And for something different, the Gondwana Centre in Queensland is running a multidisciplinary dialogue forum in August. 

Handy links. A new perspective on network science and its relevance to capacity building

Steering Committee
The Cooperative Venture for Capacity Building is managed by a steering committee comprising representatives from the partners. The committee is as follows:

Kevin Goss (Chairman), CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity

Roslyn Prinsley, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation

Ruth Nettle, Dairy Australia

Paul Comyn, Australian Wool Innovation

Tony Clancy, Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation

Andrew Hodgson, Meat & Livestock Australia

Terry Walker, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia

Alice Roughley, Land & Water Australia

Alison Reid, Murray-Darling Basin Commission

Tracy Henderson, Sugar Research and Development Corporation

John McKenzie, John McKenzie and Associates (Program Manager and Executive Officer)

Contacts
For more information about the CVCB and its activities contact:

Roslyn Prinsley, RIRDC, phone 02 6272 5227, email roslyn.prinsley@rirdc.gov.au

John McKenzie, John McKenzie and Associates, phone 0402 018 318, email john.mckenzie@clearmail.com.au

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Website
For information about the CVCB and projects go to website Cooperative Venture page.

A report recently completed by Gordon Stone and Associates for the CVCB, Agribusiness role in extension, education and training – a case study, has some clues. 

The project, which looked at agribusiness in northern NSW and southern Queensland, confirmed some things that most of us suspect or know, e.g. that as government support in the form of research and extension staff has decreased the private sector has filled the gap, particularly in industries that have capacity to pay, and that the “80-20 rule”, where 20% of the farmers produce 80% of the income, is alive and well. Agribusiness defines its clients mainly as “innovative” farmers who can afford to pay, i.e. 20% of farmers and they put their effort into this group. 

Who is agribusiness? Agribusiness is defined in the report as all embracing in terms of the private sector and includes: consultants, trainers, accountants, associations and producer organisations, farmer-directed groups, and resellers and their product suppliers. People interviewed in the project divided agribusiness into two groups, i.e. honest brokers who provide “honest, accurate advice” and those who have an interest in selling product or information (mainly resellers). This distinction is important because it affects the value landholders attach to the information they receive and how likely they are to accept it.

What does it do? Agribusiness operates to make a profit. This makes it substantially different from many government services. Community good issues, which have influenced the delivery of extension in Australia over the years, are largely irrelevant to agribusiness. Rather, production, business management and marketing are where agribusiness appears to focus its efforts. Natural resource management issues are important usually only when they intersect with one or all of these three areas.

One-on-one extension is important but agribusiness also sees electronic communication as becoming more important as a way of transferring and finding information and as a catalyst for change.

Who doesn’t use agribusiness? “Traditional” farmers are defined in the report as those who don’t like to or won’t pay for advice. These people are more likely to use the free services offered by agencies, landcare staff and resellers. According to the research, the proportion of traditional farmers is very high in the livestock industries, where there is general resistance to pay for services.

Implications. The report paints a picture of an agricultural sector where the divide between the information rich and the information poor will become wider. This will have an impact on the capacity of individuals in these two groups being able to adapt to a globalised and more competitive market place. 

It also predicts that agribusiness will be seen more by landholders, particularly the innovators, as suppliers of information and as advisers. This will be driven by a more professional next generation of farmers who will be looking for equally professional and skilled advisers. This area of developing and providing information could be one where agribusiness and the public sector could cooperate.

Another issue highlighted is that agribusiness does not have the access to R&D funds that agencies have, yet they are capable of and actually do R&D now. Joint R&D projects could be another area of cooperative activity between the public sector and agribusiness. 

A key issue for the sector is that of human capital, particularly attracting young people. Many businesses have admitted that it is very hard to find and keep good staff. To do this they have to compete with capital city wages (around $100,000) so the challenge is to be able to mentor these people while they are still young and not generating a commensurate income. To this end the report recommended that an agribusiness development program be developed and implemented.

Your feedback. The CVCB would be interested in your feedback. What do you think of the conclusions outlined? Do you have an example of the public sector and agribusiness working together? We’d like to hear for you so just email Anne Currey at anne@naturallyresourceful.com.au.

Report. The report will be available soon on the CVCB website. We will let newsletter recipients know when it is posted.

National Accreditation Scheme supported by industry
A recently published report funded by the CVCB has identified a significant demand for a National Accreditation Scheme for professional advisers and consultants to the Agricultural, Natural Resource Management and Related Sectors.  The report also found that advisers and consultants in all fields are increasingly asking for specialist information and other inputs to do with their area of expertise. Related to this is the critical issue of the quality of these specialist inputs, with quality related to the competency and performance of advisors and consultants. This is where national accreditation was seen to be important. To read the report, go to www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HCC/w05-042.pdf

Federal Parliament looks at rural skills
The CVCB has made a submission to a federal Parliamentary Committee currently investigating the level of rural skills training, research and information services in rural areas. The aim of the inquiry is to ensure there adequate vocational training, education and research in the agriculture sector to guarantee economic stability in regional Australia in the future.

A areas it is examining include the skills needs of agricultural industries, the provision of extension and advisory services to agricultural industries; and the role of government in supporting education, research and advisory programs to support the viability of agriculture.

The CVCB has provided a submission summarising the findings of the major projects completed over the past few years.

L&WA CALLS FOR HIGH INNOVATION R&D PROJECTS
Land & Water Australia is calling for highly innovative R&D projects to address critical and emerging issues and opportunities for achieving the sustainable use and management of Australia's natural resources. It currently funds a range of national R&D programs across the biophysical, economic and social dimensions of natural resource management with a strong focus on improving current practices. In this innovation call, it is seeking new ideas and technologies not likely to be funded in these more applied programs. Total funds available are $1.5m, with projects eligible to start from 1 July 2006. For more information, including guidelines and application forms, go to www.lwa.gov.au/funding. For administrative inquiries email: innovation.call@lwa.gov.au. For technical inquiries email nick.schofield@lwa.gov.au

WORK OUT THERE
Three new producer group programs for woolgrowers
Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) has recently launched new producer group programs in NSW, WA and Queensland that are designed to provide support and expertise for woolgrowers to increase the productivity and profitability of their wool businesses. The programs build on the success of existing AWI-funded networks such as Bestwool in Victoria, Bestprac across the pastoral zones, look@Wool in SA and 8x5 in Tasmania. 

The NSW-based producer group program, Wool4Wealth, was launched in late March. The three-year program involves 12 hands-on workshops for small groups of producers across six major regions of NSW. 

The WA-based program, The Sheep's Back, launched in February, is tailored specifically for WA sheep producers. Up to fifteen producer groups involving 250 producers will be encouraged to participate in program during the next two and a half years.

The Queensland-based program, Leading Sheep, was launched in March. Developed specifically to suit the needs of Queensland sheep producers, four regional groups will look at issues and business topics most relevant to their local area.

For more information, visit www.wool.com.au or contact AWI Program Manager Education and Adoption Paul Comyn, phone 02 9299 5155, email paulcomyn@woolinnovation.com.au

Youth capacity building conference in Adelaide 
The 2003 MDBC International River Health Conference proved so popular that
the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and other major sponsors have decided to give more students and teachers access to similar events by putting on seven regional conferences throughout Australia. 

Adelaide is the venue for the next regional conference. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Murray Darling Association, SA Water, the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and the River Murray Catchment Water Management Board are sponsors of the 2005 MDBC Adelaide Youth River Health Conference. To be held in Adelaide over two exciting days on July 28 and 29, this is a chance for year 5 to 11 students to have their say about the environment. 

Registrations both for schools who want to present and schools who wish to simply attend are now open. Students must be accompanied by a supervising teacher. Numbers are strictly limited to 250 participants and past conferences have filled up very quickly. Registrations close 30 June. 

For more information go to www.riverhealth.com or contact the conference organiser Arron Wood, phone 03 9329 3736 

FOR THE DIARY 
Practice change for sustainable communities: exploring footprints, pathways and possibilities

Put this date in your diaries now for the APEN International Conference being held at Latrobe University, Beechworth, Victoria, 6 to 8 March, 2006 

A call for papers, conference streams and further information will be coming soon! 

If you can’t wait contact Gavin Brock, phone 03 9296 4616, email gavin.brock@dpi.vic.gov.au

A Courageous Conversation about Sustainability
The Gondwana Centre, a non-profit ecological adult learning centre in Queensland, is hosting a five-day multidisciplinary dialogue forum from 22 to 26 August called “Sustainable Futures and Resilient Communities: Courageous Conversation Between Policy, Industry and Community” at Binna Burra on the edge of Lamington National Park – Wangerriburra Country. 

The program aims to challenge participants to critically review the current “piecemeal sustainability paradigm and create more holistic visions of sustainability that are socially equitable and ecologically sustainable, particularly in the face of global warming, climate destabilisation and oil scarcity”.

Catalyst presenters for the program include Dr John Williams (Wentworth Group of Scientists); Robyn Williams (ABC Broadcaster); Morag Gamble (Permaculture Australia and International); Dr David Mills (Solar Energy Specialist); Theresa Creed (Aboriginal Singer Songwriter, Dancer, Cultural Activist); Kev Carmody (Aboriginal Singer Songwriter, Cultural Activist); Rachel Hore (Woodford Fire Choir Leader); and Michael Mobbs (Sustainable Urban Development Specialist).

For information contact Sally MacKinnon at the Gondwana Centre, phone 07 5533 3646, email: safehaven@austarnet.com.au or go to website: www.gondwanacentre.org.au
 

HANDY LINKS
Networks and capacity building. Social and professional networks are important in motivating people to change and adapt to different circumstances and in providing support and feedback. But did you know that there is a science surrounding networks that is gaining recognition as an efficient way of solving complicated problems rather than the traditional 'examine-one-aspect-at-a-time' approach?

Networks give insights into many areas, for example, the power blackouts that crippled parts of Australia, the USA and Southern Europe in recent years recently were not all caused by exceptional one-off events as was first thought. 

According to Dr John Finnigan, from CSIRO, network science shows that events like these can be expected because of the pattern of connections in the power grid. As a result the patterns that allow failures to cascade through the power grid instead of being confined to a small area can be detected and, if the resources are there, corrected. Knowing the patterns can help us to predict and manage trouble spots.

Many people would be familiar already with network analysis, which is based on network theory, so what has this to do with capacity building?

The same rules govern social phenomena such as the spread of ideas through a population or the uptake of a new technology like DVDs or iPODs, the success of businesses, and the failure of communication in organisations. This means that understanding network science and the patterns of connections within a network can help us understand how networks “work” and identify who we need to target to spread a desired message most effectively. 

Network theory can also give us insights when trying to initiate new groups and capacity building structures. Often there is an organisational requirement to keep relationships and new structures efficient and lean. Network science tells us that making a system as efficient as possible e.g. centralising information through one central point, can actually make the system brittle so that when one small mishap occurs, the potential is for the whole system to fall over.  In other words the drive for streamlining systems and maximising efficiency can compromise their resilience.

This might seem commonsense but we can all probably think of systems and structures which were almost designed to fail because of this very point. The strength of network science is that it makes this obvious and provides a rigorous way of analysing such systems. 

Interested to know more? A first port of call is website http://www.dar.csiro.au/css/index.htm
Feedback. Is there a website you find handy for information about capacity building? Don’t keep it to yourself. Send an email to anne@naturallyresourceful.com.au and I’ll publish it in the next newsletter.