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Recommendations arising from an analysis of changes to the Australian agricultural research, development and extension system

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  • Hunt, Warren
  • Birch, Colin
  • Vanclay, Frank
  • Coutts, Jeff

Abstract

The business of agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) has undergone considerable change in Australia since the late 1980s, moving from a domain largely dominated by government departments to a situation of multiple actors, and where rural industries now directly contribute funds towards RD&E efforts. However, the transition has not been without impacts on the overall agricultural RD&E agri-food capacity of the nation, and there are now indications of reduced capacity and slowing productivity gains in certain sectors. If not addressed, there is the risk that the future resilience of industries could be threatened, affecting parts of the Australian economy and compromising Australian contributions to global food supply on export markets and a slowing of agricultural innovation. There are also comparable divestment trends and the loss of capacity and risks to future resilience of agricultural systems in other developed nations. Importantly, research and extension are discussed as interdependent partner disciplines, and that the separation of the two has deleterious effects on capacity and resilience building. The authors investigate, through six case study institutions, organisational innovations that may provide direction towards the future restructuring of agricultural RD&E effort in Australia. These insights have application to both the Australian and the international reader, warning about the consequences of reduced investment in agricultural RD&E, and learning about how research and extension can transition from traditional public sector models to systems that have greater flexibility and, importantly, ownership by the industries themselves.

Suggested Citation

  • Hunt, Warren & Birch, Colin & Vanclay, Frank & Coutts, Jeff, 2014. "Recommendations arising from an analysis of changes to the Australian agricultural research, development and extension system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 129-141.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:44:y:2014:i:c:p:129-141
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.11.007
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    2. Deane, Felicity & Wilson, Clevo & Rowlings, David & Webb, Jeremy & Mitchell, Elaine & Hamman, Evan & Sheppard, Eva & Grace, Peter, 2018. "Sugarcane farming and the Great Barrier Reef: the role of a principled approach to change," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 691-698.
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    4. Fielke, Simon & Taylor, Bruce & Jakku, Emma, 2020. "Digitalisation of agricultural knowledge and advice networks: A state-of-the-art review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    5. Anthony Cawley & Cathal O’Donoghue & Kevin Heanue & Rachel Hilliard & Maura Sheehan, 2018. "The Impact of Extension Services on Farm‐level Income: An Instrumental Variable Approach to Combat Endogeneity Concerns," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 585-612, December.
    6. Ollerenshaw, Alison & Murphy, Angela & Walters, Judi & Robinson, Nathan & Thompson, Helen, 2023. "Use of digital technology for research data and information transfer within the Australian grains sector: A case study using Online Farm Trials," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    7. Lisa Lobry de Bruyn & Susan Andrews, 2016. "Are Australian and United States Farmers Using Soil Information for Soil Health Management?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-33, March.
    8. Petheram, C. & McKellar, L. & Holz, L. & Poulton, P. & Podger, S. & Yeates, S., 2016. "Evaluation of the economic feasibility of water harvesting for irrigation in a large semi-arid tropical catchment in northern Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 84-98.
    9. Newton, Joanna E. & Nettle, Ruth & Pryce, Jennie E., 2020. "Farming smarter with big data: Insights from the case of Australia's national dairy herd milk recording scheme," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    10. Kruger, Heleen, 2017. "Creating an enabling environment for industry-driven pest suppression: The case of suppressing Queensland fruit fly through area-wide management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 139-148.
    11. Cawley, A.P & Heanue, K. & O’Donoghue, C. & Sheehan, M., 2015. "The Impact of Extension Services on Farm Level Outcomes: An Instrumental Variable Approach," 150th Seminar, October 22-23, 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland 212664, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

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