A new program to look into emerging issues and trends that may have an impact on all rural industries and communities in Australia is to be established by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).

The new Emerging Rural Issues program will be established under RIRDC’s National Rural Issues portfolio and will help rural Australia track and manage “over the horizon” issues.

RIRDC Managing Director, Dr Peter O’Brien, said the new program would generate information about possible future trends and assess future conditions and their likely impact on rural industries and communities based on current experience and trends.

“We believe establishing this new program will allow RIRDC to take a peek into the future and help rural industries cope with the challenges and opportunities of what might be around the corner,” Dr O’Brien said.

“This is an exciting program that we hope will help predict what lies ahead and provide strategies on how to deal with it.
 
“For example 20 years ago climate change had barely registered on the agricultural radar, yet today it is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector.

“Similarly, few people would have foreseen the growth in biofuels that is now occurring and the impact this is having – both positive and negative – on a wide range of agricultural industries.

“The aim of this new program will be to identify the equivalent issues of 2030 and beyond and help us plan for them to ensure rural Australia is able to cope and capitalise.

“RIRDC has already undertaken work of this nature to assist our industry and government stakeholders,” Dr O’Brien said.

“We have produced research such as The Social and Economic Impacts of Water Trading and Implications for Australian Agriculture of Changing Demand for Animal Protein Needs in Asia, work funded through the Australian Farm Institute.

“Establishing a foresighting program like this in RIRDC will also inform future investment in R&D.  Most R&D has its beneficial impacts some time in the future – we need to anticipate the possibilities and invest in R&D to address them.

“The program will also explore the potential for collaboration with other research and development corporations and will complement RIRDC’s research into more mature issues,” Dr O’Brien said.
 

Media enquiries:
Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445