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Summary of full report
Edited by Ken Rickert
Publication No. 03/053 Project No. UQ–90A
May 2004 by RIRDC
Foreword
Is the book optimistic about
the future? Yes, provided we do things differently!
It points to what should be done differently and describes a theoretical base for considering options. Since the future is uncertain, perhaps our greatest resource for coping is the ingenuity, skill and moral fibre of our farmers and the support services that encourage these qualities.
This publication is an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 1000 research publications. It brings together research from our Resilient Agricultural Systems Sub-program which aims to foster agri-industry systems that have sufficient diversity, flexibility and robustness to be resilient and respond to challenges and opportunities.
The project was funded from RIRDC Core Funds, which are provided by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. While this support is gratefully acknowledged, the eleven chapters that follow contain the views of eleven Australian and seven Dutch authors who do not attempt to reflect the views of RIRDC or the Australian or Dutch governments.
Simon Hearn
Managing Director
Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation
Preface
An early draft of this preface
was prepared while I visited the Netherlands to consult with Hans
Schiere and other Dutch authors. We were working from a cabin near the village of Kootwijk, which is adjacent to an area of desert-like sand dunes in the Kootwijkerzand forestry reserve.
The sand dunes resulted from over exploitation by farmers until some hundred years ago. The village farmers not only grazed the area heavily but also cut and removed the sward and topsoil to their farms outside the reserve. A vivid example of the ‘tragedy of the commons’ in the Netherlands of all places. A few minutes drive to the west is a district that was once renowned for intensive livestock production that allowed many families to have a good income. In recent times, however, public concern with wastes from this type of farming led to government regulations that reduced animal numbers and to the introduction of manure disposal contracts. The village of Kootwijkerbroek is located in the same area. Its farmers had to contend with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease early in 2001, which resulted in a bitter clash with government over vaccination policy. Twenty minutes drive to the south is Wageningen University, a key source of information for Dutch agriculture and a major contributor to literature on farming systems.
But while notable reminders of farming and its complex and uncertain environment surrounded me, all was not peaceful outside. In the distance the Dutch army could be heard practising live firing in preparation for possible action in response to the tragic destruction of the World Trade Center in New York.
Eighteen months later the foot-and-mouth outbreak was a painful memory but Europe was in political turmoil over a war with Iraq. Uncertainty and complexity are definitely not confined to farming.
What of Australia in September 2001. Grain farmers on the Darling Downs in Queensland had not received sufficient rain to plant a crop for two years. They were approaching the Federal
Government for assistance due to these exceptional circumstances. Meanwhile the beef industry was booming – sale prices had increased by 130% in the past 18 months and export markets for live cattle were expanding once again. Not so with the dairy industry – national deregulation had drastically reduced milk prices for farmers in northern Australia. Government provided financial assistance to help farmers adjust to deregulation but many ‘adjusted’ by leaving the industry.
What of Australia in March 2003, eighteen months later. Eastern Australia was experiencing one of the most widespread and severe droughts on record, accompanied by bush fires that had burnt 3m ha of rangeland and forests, and destroyed over 500 homes in and adjacent to the leafy suburbs of the national capital Canberra. The national wheat harvest of 2002/03 was 38% of the harvest in 2001/02, livestock industries imported feed grains for the first time in many years, graziers struggled to survive and retain breeding stock even with drought relief from governments, and the summer crop harvest for 2003 was predicted to be 60-70% less than for 2002. Meanwhile cities and industry were experiencing water shortages and food prices were rising as the drought disrupted normal supply chains. Australia might be a ‘lucky’ country in terms of mineral resources and surfing beaches, but its people must cope with living in the driest continent with the most variable climate in the world.
With regard to over exploitation of soil and water resources, there was the growing public concern over salinisation and deterioration in the Murray-Darling and other river basins, problems that emerged many years after land was first cleared. Eleven leading and concerned scientists tabled a report as a ‘Blue Print for a Living Continent’, which pointed to policies and actions for the better management of our soil and water resources. The ensuing public debate over responsibilities, inter-governmental agreements and funding was in full swing. There was also public concerns over the number of large public corporations that failed in recent years, and the resulting enquiries and legal proceedings will lead to reforms in accounting and business practices. Uncertainty and complexity are definitely not confined to farming, or to Australia, Europe, or USA.
Whilst variation in prices and weather are major issues for Australian farmers that are usually not experienced to the same degree by Dutch farmers, there are many similarities in Australian and Dutch farming. For example, both countries have relied on technological developments to lift farm production with little appreciation of the trade-off elsewhere in the biophysical system (matter), and how they were seen by society at large (mind). The book stresses the need for a holistic view of mind and matter issues. Also the wider community scrutinises farmers and farming in both countries. Another Kootwijkerzand-like experience would be abhorred by the wider community who see farmers providing a secure supply of good food coupled with good stewardship of farmland. As a result, the triple bottom line is a widely accepted goal for farming today – farming systems should be ecologically sustainable, profitable and socially acceptable.
This notion of the triple bottom line underpins the contents of this book.
Another purpose of the above reflections is to highlight the complex and dynamic environment of farming in both countries, and by association, farming in all developed countries. Change, uncertainty, complexity and interrelationships are part and parcel of farming today. How can farmers cope, is there a pattern to it all, and what about the future, including food security? These are all pertinent questions that this book attempts to address in four parts. Part1 (Chapters 1-3) sets the scene by reviewing agricultural development during the 20th century. Part 2 (Chapters 4-6) outlines contemporary theories on systems thinking. Part 3 (Chapter 7-9) reviews three technologies that are shaping farming systems as we move into the 21st century. Finally, Part 4 (Chapters 10 and 11) builds on the preceding material to reflect on the future of farming. The target audience includes all persons interested in the future of farming.
Ken Rickert
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