Australia's Farming Future

Australia’s Farming Future is the Australian Government’s climate change initiative for primary industries. It provides funding over four years to help primary producers adapt and respond to climate change.

Australia’s climate is changing over time and this can be seen in the differences we are experiencing in rainfall, temperature and extreme events.

Our primary industries face unique challenges in a changing climate and could face a broad range of repercussions. There may be physical impacts (e.g. changing rainfall patterns), social impacts (e.g. changes to farm business structures, community demographics, health and wellbeing) and economic impacts (e.g. changing productivity levels and markets).

The objective of Australia’s Farming Future is to equip primary producers to adapt and adjust to the impacts of climate change. To better understand attitudes and information preferences relating to climate change and drought the Department conducted market research in 2009.

• Australia's Farming Future Final Market Research Report  PDF [1mb]
  
  Australia's Farming Future Final Market Research Report  Word [1.5mb]

The initiative comprises a number of elements:

• The Climate Change Research Program provides funding for research projects and on-farm demonstration activities.
• FarmReady helps industry and primary producers develop skills and strategies to help them deal with the impacts of climate change.
• Climate Change Adjustment Program assists farmers in financial difficulty to manage the impacts of climate change. Farm Business Analysis and Financial Assessments and professional advice and training are individually tailored to help farmers adjust to climate change and to set goals and develop action plans to improve their financial circumstances. Rural financial counsellors can assist eligible farmers to take action to improve their long term financial position.
• The Climate Change Adjustment Program Re-establishment Grant will cease on 30 June 2011. Applications for  re-establishment assistance closed on 30 April 2011.
• Transitional income support is linked to the climate change adjustment program and provides short-term income support and advice and training opportunities to farmers in serious financial difficulty, while they adapt their farm to changing circumstances, including climate change.
• Community Networks and Capacity Building activities will focus on increasing the leadership and representative capacity of target groups including women, young people, Indigenous Australians and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Australia’s Farming Future is administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

More information

Call 1800 638 746 or email Australia's Farming Future.