Understanding Practice Change by Farmers — a national symposium University of Melbourne 14.11.08 Andrew Campbell facilitator

The genesis of this event

Why is this important? Rural Australia is under pressure, and facing rapid & sustained change The community has multiple requirements of rural landscapes Food, fibre, export income Biodiversity, water, landscape amenity, tourism Residential and commercial space The rapidly evolving carbon & energy agendas These objectives are often in tension currently amplified by climate change and economic & policy uncertainty There are major public policy (and commercial) interests in being able to understand, predict and influence rural practice change

Rural Australia is under pressure, and facing rapid & sustained change

The community has multiple requirements of rural landscapes

Food, fibre, export income

Biodiversity, water, landscape amenity, tourism

Residential and commercial space

The rapidly evolving carbon & energy agendas

These objectives are often in tension

currently amplified by climate change and economic & policy uncertainty

There are major public policy (and commercial) interests in being able to understand, predict and influence rural practice change