Agricultural Advocacy and Policy

The Australian agricultural sector has undergone substantial change in recent decades. This is likely to continue apace. Family farms are restructuring, there is a greater use of technology and stronger vertical integration up and down the supply chain. Alongside this, consumers are becoming more attune to the environmental and social impacts of production processes, requiring industry to respond and demonstrate their sustainability credentials. More broadly, the regulatory and policy context for agriculture is becoming more complex as global, national and local political institutions overlap. This is further complicated by the increasing number of advocacy groups operating in the agri-food sector, and the impact of social media on the pace of media and political cycles. This course provides a survey of these trends for those engaged in the agri-food sector and for the newcomer alike. The aim is to provide an understanding of Australian developments set against international trends, and informed by international research across relevant social science disciplines. The course will have a strong practical focus, with topics explored through case studies.